Puma Deviate Nitro 2 Review

The Deviate Nitro 2 is one of the best all-around shoes we've tested. In many ways, it's similar to the Hoka Mach 5. It's slightly more biased towards faster running, as the carbon plate suggests, but it also does a great job on long, easy runs. What really stood out for us with this shoe is how expertly it balances comfort and responsiveness.

Performance Comparison

Cushioning and Landing Comfort

Landing comfort in the Deviate Nitro is soft and smooth without feeling pillowy — great for a daily trainer. The Nitro foams (both Elite and non-elite) do a great job of absorbing forces, feeling softer than the 36mm measured heel stack height suggests. We think that is largely due to the softer and more energetic Nitro Elite foam distribution. There is more in the heel and right under the forefoot, the two highest impact areas for most runners. We love how much forefoot cushioning this shoe has.

The Deviate Nitro strikes a balance between springiness and softness that makes it a near-perfect daily trainer. If it had much more cushioning, it would feel too soft on harder runs, and with any less, we wouldn't care for it quite as much on easy days. As it is, this is a shoe that is cushioned just right for almost all of our runs. That's hard to find.

The carbon plate obviously helps with responsiveness, but it also seems to help prevent the cushioning from bottoming out or suffering from rock strikes. We found that it performed well on rocky roads, even though that isn't its intended surface. We did not note any harshness in the ride from the plate.

Puma also knows how to make a shoe with great traction. The Puma Grip outsole performed flawlessly in all conditions, allowing us to land confidently on loose surfaces, wet surfaces, and dry pavement.

Responsiveness

The Deviate Nitro is all about balance. Excellent cushioning is balanced with great responsiveness. We found that this shoe gave us a snappy toe-off when we wanted it, but was also fine with running at a relaxed pace.

While the Deviate Nitro scores well for responsiveness, it wouldn't be our first pick if we wanted a shoe for hard efforts only. Some shoes are snappier, but they aren't as comfortable on easy runs. The ability to handle anything from a recovery jog to a hard race-paced effort is what we love about this shoe.

The only reason we don't use the Nitro for all our runs is the carbon plate. It gives the shoe a good amount of responsiveness, but we try to spend time in non-plated shoes regularly to keep muscles and impact forces balanced. If that isn't something you're concerned about, the balance this shoe strikes is hard to beat.

Stability

This is a neutral trainer and isn't one we'd recommend for someone looking for lots of support. But as far as neutral trainers go, we think this is a very stable shoe. The plate works well to keep the foot stable on the bed of foam, and the upper provides excellent lockdown to help minimize excess motion.

On uneven surfaces, the Deviate Nitro feels very stable, handling washboard roads and uneven dirt with ease. It also managed to perform well on hill sprints, something plated shoes tend to struggle with. Again, it's perfect as a daily trainer, where we're looking for the ability to do almost everything and do it all well.

Upper Comfort

The upper of this shoe is breathable and plush. It's really hard to find anything wrong with it here. We had no issues achieving good lockdown in the forefoot, and the lacing is smooth and simple. We will note that the shoe initially felt a touch snug in the forefoot but relaxed with extended wear.

Puma added a strip of PWRTAPE along the inside of the midfoot, which helps keep the foot locked in place at faster paces. The tongue is thin and lightly padded, with gusseting at the base. We had no issues with rubbing or hotspots. Towards the back of the shoe, a gentle heel cup works in conjunction with a padded collar to hold the back of your foot in place perfectly. We experienced no rubbing or slippage. There really isn't anything remarkable about the upper, but it works well and is extremely comfortable.

Weight

The Deviate Nitro 2 isn't a light shoe. We weighed it at 9.58 ounces per shoe for a size 10.5US. This also doesn't make it a heavy shoe, but it is about 1 ounce heavier than some of its most direct competitors, like the Mach 5 and Endorphin Speed 3.

Most of the weight of this shoe is due to the comfortable upper and the great outsole. On most days, we are happy to carry the extra ounce for the added comfort it provides. As with all things, it's about honing in on the aspects that are most important to you.

Should You Buy the Puma Deviate Nitro 2?

The perfect shoe doesn't exist, but this one comes close. It's great for long runs where cushioning and a bit of responsiveness are essential. It's great for threshold sessions, where responsiveness is key and cushioning is appreciated. It's great for easy runs where you're just getting in the miles. It can handle 5K paces and could even be used for racing. There really isn't anything to dislike about this shoe; we love it and think you will, too.

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