PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 3 Reviews

Incredible: one of the most durable racers they have used, light and super fast.

About 200 miles, first racing it with personal bests at every distance, then mostly training including a 6x2K workout. The upper kept its lockdown and only discolored, midsole wear felt minimal with the foam still squishy and springy, and grip held up. They noted small chewed spots on the exposed foam from stones, which they call negligible, and a loud crack when gravel hits the plate. They found the plate gentle on calves and Achilles and plan to keep using it.

Found the DNE3 durable and liked running in it, though they felt faster in the Vaporfly.

About 115 miles of fast sessions from 200 m repeats to marathon effort, plus a half marathon race. They like the light, snug upper that does not pinch, and the foam that absorbs shock without being too squishy and bounces back quickly, giving snappy turnover. At that mileage the foam still felt great and the upper looked pristine apart from slight tongue fraying, though the outsole showed normal wear and scuffing on exposed foam. They would race in it up to the marathon.

About 100 miles of training and racing. They found the thin, conforming upper comfortable and the soft, forgiving foam still lively with very little breakdown, and the outsole gripped well on road and even on wet or muddy patches. The fit is narrow, so they do not recommend it for wider feet, and the soft foam is not very stable at the heel, which could trouble runners who pronate. They favor it for races up to the half marathon, finding the heel a little narrow for a marathon.

An excellent cushion-to-weight ratio, a huge weight drop vs v2, springy foam for many paces, a natural ride, and best-in-class grip and durability at a lower price. One tester prefers it to the Adios Pro 3. Another tester notes slight heel instability.

'A good racer, but it isn't amazing.' The switch from PEBA to TPU makes it less bouncy and lively than top racers, and the rocker could be more aggressive. Cushioning holds up over long distances, so many will like it for marathons.

Double thumbs up: lab data showed she runs marathons slightly more economically in it than in her previous racer. Durable, high energy return, nimble and snappy.