PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Reviews

Great energy return in a half marathon; felt like free seconds every kilometre after 10K.

It worked great for their PR marathon with no blisters, though at 55 miles it now feels too intense for a full.

About 200 miles across three pairs, including a rainy 20-mile long run with marathon-pace reps in the pair that reached 100 miles, plus two marathons and a half-marathon PR. They love the bounce and how easily it puts them on the forefoot, call it the best sub-3 marathon racer, and found 100-mile wear fairly good. Downsides: it feels choppy and tiring at easy paces, is not a comfortable training shoe, and only feels good when run fast.

They had loved the Alphafly 3 for marathons until they tried the Fast-R 3, whose ATPU foam they consider by far the best midsole compound.

Heel striker finds the Fast-R 3 great at marathon pace or faster; the heel cutaway only feels odd on downhills.

A 130 lb runner raced a sub-40 10K in the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 and found it fast but fragile, narrow and long, with calf soreness and a black toenail; they wouldn't buy again.

About 50 km of running, including a 12K race, in a true-to-size pair. They found it explosive and efficient, best from half-marathon pace and faster, with a breathable stripped-down upper and a snug, narrow fit that runs long in the toe. It is fast rather than comfortable, dictates the stride, has only average stability (better for forefoot strikers), and the outsole showed slight fraying by 50 km.

A slower runner's marathon PR dropped from 4:25 to 3:55 in the Fast-R 3, whose geometry pushes them forward.

Stuck at 17:35-17:50 for a year in the Edge Paris, they ran a 17:03 parkrun in the Fast-R 3 with nothing else changed.

Raced 12K in the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 while sick and ran faster than expected; comfortable for someone who can't handle Nike's narrow fit.

First speed workout in the Fast-R 3 was great and it comes alive at pace, but it is narrow and not for wide feet.

Between them, the two testers ran roughly 80 to 100 km, including the London Marathon, a fast 10-miler, a parkrun 5K and track work. They found it light, snappy and springy at marathon pace and faster, with a breathable upper that coped with heat and rain and a snug, narrow fit that runs long. Downsides: high price, middling durability, little stability, an unnatural-feeling rocker, and less enjoyment on 400m reps. It suits fast runners, not slower marathoners.

First impressions of the Fast-R 3: extremely light (195 g vs 235 g for the Alphafly 3), thin upper, extra toe room but snug midfoot.

Grades A to A+: a forefoot runner's dream racer with a comfortable upper. Forefoot outsole wear already shows at 30 miles.

His new favourite marathon racer: he hardly thought about his feet during his PR, and it turned over quickly when he pushed late. Top tier, though not for everyone.

A wild design with an incredible ride that stands out in the super-shoe market, and he can't wait to race in it again. Forefoot rubber shows wear after 50 miles, and Puma rates its life at only 200 miles.