PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 Reviews

Three testers: one near 60 km (marathon-pace reps, tempo, hill reps), one around 40 km including a two-hour mixed-pace run, one on parkruns and tempo runs. They found it very light, lively and natural, comfortable out of the box and decent at slower paces, with reliable grip even on wet London streets. Downsides: a narrow platform with some race-shoe wobble, a little heel movement for one tester, and rear rubber that ripped after about 2 km for another (a third saw no wear there). It suits runners wanting a fast but approachable half or full marathon shoe.

Two testers, including a 10-mile uptempo run for one of them. They liked how light it feels, the soft, bouncy foam with a noticeable pop from the plate, and a minimal, very breathable upper with a secure heel that suited both a wider and a narrow foot. One slipped a little on a cold, frosty run, though the other put that down to the ice rather than the shoe and had no grip issues in dry conditions. They call it a solid race-day option, including for the marathon.

Light and faster than ever, a brilliant choice for extremely fast, lightweight racing. One tester finds it aggressive, needing a lot of power from the front, and will save it for speed sessions and shorter races. Another tester compares it favourably to the Fast-R 3.

One tester's favorite version 'and it's not even close', finally able to go head-to-head with other brands' racers. Another: the best in the line ever and Puma's best race shoe to date. Lighter, wider and softer.