Puma Deviate Pure Nitro

A really good-looking, lightweight, $150 daily trainer with a fantastic upper and great Puma Grip, but the plateless foam lays flat without the propulsive bounce the hype promised, so it falls short as an uptempo or Evo SL killer; overall a green light.

Best for: A lightweight, comfortable, good-value daily trainer rather than an uptempo or race-day shoe

Ben Parkes praises the Deviate Pure Nitro as a light, fast, fun, and versatile plateless speed shoe with excellent PEBA-foam cushioning, grip, and stability at a good price point, though it runs narrow and isn't ideal for wider feet.

Best for: Tempo runs, interval sessions, and fast daily miles, for narrower feet

Ben Parkes' top Puma pick; a versatile plateless shoe that blew him away with its Nitro foam, amazing grip and stability, and ability to handle all paces and distances including marathon, at a great price point.

Ben considers the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro a genuine competitor to and personal improvement over the Adidas Evo SL, praising its versatility, stability, lightweight cushioning, and exceptional value at £130. He rates it as his preferred shoe for longer and steadier efforts, giving it the overall win over the Evo SL for his use cases.

Best for: Versatile daily use including intervals, tempo runs, long runs, and races up to marathon distance for neutral or narrow-footed runners

Initially underwhelming and firm out of the box, the Deviate Pure Nitro becomes noticeably softer and bouncier after 40-50 miles of break-in, settling into a comfortable, stable daily-training-and-tempo shoe rather than a fast racer.

Best for: Runners who pronate off the first ray and want lateral guidance for daily training and tempo runs — not recommended for those wanting to run as fast as possible.

One tester's top performance-trainer pick and a runner-up for another, praised as a simple, versatile, no-frills shoe that punches above its $150 price point.

Best for: A do-it-all trainer that can handle both easy and fast running at a strong price point.

A basic but capable daily trainer that rewards patience in the break-in period; once broken in it delivers smooth transitions and decent versatility across paces.

Best for: Versatile daily training shoe that can handle easy runs, long runs, and tempo work

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro rewards patience — it starts stiff and narrow but breaks in around 50-60 miles into a smooth, versatile performer with good durability that Matt keeps reaching for over other shoes.

Best for: Patient runners who want a versatile performance trainer that handles easy runs, tempos, and long runs once broken in; neutral to mildly stable need.

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is the reviewer's top pick in this category for its balanced, versatile ride — not the best at any one thing but capable across all use cases, with excellent durability and a smooth ride once broken in.

Best for: Runners who want a neutral do-it-all shoe at the lightest weight in this category

A beautifully simple, lightweight daily trainer with nothing fancy but a really good geometry; the kind of straightforward shoe that's sometimes exactly what you want.

Best for: Simple, lightweight daily trainer for easy miles that can also pick up the pace

The best of this group for comfort and impact protection on slow, easy miles, but its PEBA-based foam and stabilizing shank leave it lacking bounce and energy return compared with the Velocity Nitro 5 and Novablast 6.

Best for: Slower, easier-paced recovery miles

Selected as the more versatile, plate-free daily option, offering a comfortable middle-of-the-road ride for daily training and slower long efforts, even though it still lacks some 'snap and pizzazz.'

Best for: Daily training and slower long runs for runners wanting a comfortable, plate-free, no-fuss trainer.

A decent, light all-rounder that's better than the Pegasus 42, but falls short of being the Evo SL killer some claim it to be — a master of nothing.

EDDBUD finds the Deviate Pure Nitro foam underwhelming compared to the Velocity Nitro 4, describing it as uneventful and tame without much pop.

The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro sits awkwardly between a performance shoe and a daily trainer, doing neither particularly well; the reviewer would choose the Adizero Evo SL or RAD Synth over it.

Best for: Easy daily miles for runners who want impact protection and don't need to turn the pace up

EDDBUD rates it a fun, well-built, great-value plateless daily trainer that he sees as an alternative to rather than a beater of the Adidas Evo SL, with the Adidas still feeling more nimble and up for it. Better laces, a longer tongue, and a better insole away from shoe-of-the-year contention, but excellent durability and Puma Grip outsole make it hard to fault for the money.

Best for: Daily miles with some speedwork mixed in, and as a potential marathon training shoe for runners who want a wider, more stable landing platform than the Evo SL.

Fordy gives the Deviate Pure the head-to-head win over the Evo SL on weight, stability, versatility and upper, saying it has taken the good bits of the Evo SL and improved them — though he stresses both shoes are phenomenal and it is almost a draw.

Best for: Runners who want a stable, versatile, lightweight plateless up-tempo daily trainer with super foam at an affordable price

FORDY RUNS calls the Deviate Pure the running shoe surprise of 2026 — a smooth, versatile daily trainer that handles easy miles and uptempo work, and a serious contender for shoe of the year in his view.

Best for: Daily training miles with the versatility to pick up the pace

FORDY RUNS calls this a contender for running shoe of the year: a plateless, full-PEBA up-tempo daily trainer that is hugely versatile across paces, light, well-priced at £130, and a strong alternative to the Adidas Adizero Evo SL.

Best for: Everyday runners wanting one versatile, affordable, lightweight up-tempo daily trainer that can handle easy runs, faster sessions, parkruns, 5Ks and 10Ks, and slot into many rotations

Reviewers praised the Deviate Pure Nitro as a light, nimble, well-cushioned daily trainer with a flatter, more ground-feel ride and strong value, best suited to easy-to-tempo paces and shorter faster sessions, though it caps out at track and sustained fast efforts.

Best for: Daily training, tempo runs, and shorter faster efforts for runners who prefer a lighter, more connected ride.

The panel rates the Deviate Pure Nitro very highly as a nimble, direct, and surprisingly comfortable non-plated daily trainer — several testers personally preferred it to the Azura, even though the group's marginal overall pick went the other way.

Best for: Daily training, tempo efforts, and short speed intervals for runners who want a lighter, more direct non-plated trainer.

A strong, versatile non-plated daily trainer that excels at easy to steady efforts with good comfort and stability, though it can't quite match the pace efficiency of more speed-focused shoes like the Adidas Evo SL.

Best for: Versatile daily training including easy runs, steady efforts, progression runs, and moderate tempo work for neutral runners who want a lightweight, comfortable all-rounder

A versatile, stable daily trainer with a comfortable cradled ride that excels at easy and steady paces, though it lacks the snappy energy return and speed focus of the Evo SL.

Best for: Everyday daily training and long runs for runners wanting stability and comfort over speed; pairs well with a faster shoe for interval days.

The Deviate Pure Nitro is a favorite of at least one reviewer who prefers it to the Novablast 6, advancing to the semifinals before falling to the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3.

An immediately likeable, energetic non-plated daily trainer with a brilliant poppy, bouncy yet controlled midsole; on the first run the tester rated it possibly the best Puma shoe he has run in and a potentially very versatile shoe.

Best for: An energetic daily trainer for a range of paces, from easy cruising to faster running, in the vein of the Adidas Evo SL and Saucony Endorphin Azura.