Article by Jen Schmidt
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite Path ($230)
Introduction
The Deviate Nitro Elite Path represents Puma entry into the carbon plated, supercritical foam cushioned path tremendous shoe race.
At commendable weights of girls’s 8.25 oz / 284g US 8, males’s 9.25 oz / 262g US9, with a considerable however not excessive 36mm heel / 30mm forefoot stack peak it’s powered by the identical NITROFOAM Elite as in Puma’s Elite 3 marathon shoe and is shod in at all times glorious PumaGrip rubber, right here the ATR taste with 3mm lugs.
Execs:
Power rebound is superior to different path supershoes – Jen
Very light-weight – Jen
Midsole is well-cushioned however energetic, not tender – Jen
Nice stability regardless of the excessive 36 mm stack – Jen
Outsole is grippy even on muddy singletrack and moist rock – Jen
Handles surprisingly nicely on reasonably technical trails – Jen
Cons:
Heel collar could take some breaking in or trigger rubbing for some – Jen
Further lengthy laces don’t at all times keep put – Jen
Stats
Approx. Weight: girls’s 8.25 oz / 284g US 8, males’s 9.25 oz / 262g US9
Pattern Weights:
girls’s 8 oz / 225 g US 8.5
Stack Peak: 36 mm heel / 30 mm forefoot (6 mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 87 mm heel / 60 mm midfoot / 107 mm forefoot US W8.5
Most comparable sneakers
HOKA Tecton X3 – Jen
Adidas Agravic Velocity Extremely – Jen
Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3 (street model) – Jen
North Face Summit sequence VECTIV Sky 2 – Jen
Tester Profile
Jennifer Schmidt discovered path operating in her mid-20’s and started dabbling on the roads a couple of years later. Path 50k’s are nearest and dearest to her coronary heart, and she or he lately took the win on the 2025 Manner Too Cool 50k and positioned sixth on the 2025 Black Canyon Ultras 50k. Nowadays, yow will discover her totally on the candy California singletrack round Auburn, chasing aggressive and private targets over a wide range of surfaces and distances. Relying on the season, she additionally competes within the USATF street and XC circuits for Sacramento Working Affiliation’s racing workforce, with a marathon PR of two:41.
First Impressions, Match and Higher
Jen: To get straight to the purpose, that is my favourite shoe that I’ve reviewed to this point this yr. It’s instantly clear that the Deviate Nitro Elite Path belongs within the comparatively new class of path supershoes, and in my private opinion it sits on the prime of that class.
Runners with lower-volume ft can have fun the narrower forefoot and midfoot on this shoe as in comparison with its closest rivals, the Adidas Agravic Velocity Extremely or HOKA Tecton X3. (The match by the toe field and midfoot is similar to the lower-stack, much less cushioned however nonetheless plated North Face VECTIV Sky 2.) The midfoot felt utterly locked in because of the partially gusseted tongue and sturdy extra-long laces. (I’m undecided the laces wanted to be fairly so lengthy, but it surely’s simple sufficient to tuck them in.)
Maybe the PWRTAPE reinforcements performed a job as nicely, though they’re not noticeable on the run.
The ULTRAWEAVE higher is as light-weight and sturdy as marketed, with a surprisingly tender suede-like ankle collar and strengthened lace grommets.
That a part of the higher provides technique to a really agency heel cup that extends excessive within the rear, maybe my solely grievance with this shoe.
I obtained some rubbing on my Achilles from the best a part of the heel counter that took off some pores and skin even by socks and moleskin.
At ~50 miles on the shoe, it hasn’t damaged in but to some extent the place it now not rubs, however a coaching associate has not had the identical subject. Nonetheless, all the things else about this shoe makes me keen to sacrifice the pores and skin on my heel.
Midsole & Platform
Jen: Two layers of NITROFOAM™ Elite plus a carbon fiber PWRPLATE is outwardly the recipe for some critical power return. The additional pop on the toe-off on flatter trails is as near a street tremendous shoe as any path shoe I’ve run in. There’s little or no torsional flexibility (both entrance to again or aspect to aspect) as a result of PWRPLATE, which generates the responsiveness, however surprisingly the rigidity doesn’t detract from stability on uneven surfaces.
Even with two layers of froth and the stack peak, the experience is responsive quite than mushy. The rebound helps this shoe excel on flatter trails and gravel the place you may actually put energy into the carbon plate, however with out sacrificing efficiency on clean to reasonable singletrack.
I haven’t examined it within the mountains as of but, so I can’t converse to how this plated shoe performs there, but when I had acquired it per week earlier, I might have worn it at Manner Too Cool 50k with out hesitation. (Sam gently jogs my memory to say I gained this yr’s version, carrying the HOKA Tecton X3.) The Tecton X3 dealt with the little bit of mud on the primary lap nicely and drained properly on the creek crossings, however I feel the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Path would have been a bit faster on the very runnable miles on the Quarry and ALT sections and the additional stability would have been good on the marginally technical sections between Goat Hill and the freeway 49 crossing.
Alhough the Deviate NITRO Elite Path has a full 36 mm stack heel peak, I used to be extraordinarily impressed with its lateral stability. The Adidas Agravic Velocity Extremely was simply too tippy for me to totally belief my ft, and whereas the HOKA Tecton X3 felt extra steady resulting from its extensive base, I’ve nonetheless rolled ankles in it a couple of occasions. Not so with the Deviate – maybe it’s only a higher match for my narrower ft, but it surely feels rather more steady even with a narrower base.
The 6 mm drop is sufficient to assist ship a bit of additional propulsion as you roll by however isn’t too aggressive.
Outsole
Jen: Initially, I didn’t anticipate a lot from the outsole. In any case, Puma is named a street model, and the Deviate NITRO Elite Path appeared like its street counterpart with some minimal 3 mm lugs.
My low expectations set me as much as be very pleasantly stunned. The PUMAGRIP ATR rubber was grippier than anticipated, even on muddy singletrack and moist rock. Whereas deep mud or extraordinarily technical terrain may require one thing extra aggressive, I used to be very happy with these for Auburn-area trails which included parts of the Western States 100 and fewer technical sections of the Canyons 50k and 100k programs.
The lugs aren’t aggressive at solely 3 mm, however the outsole is grippy sufficient, even on moist rock.
Journey, Conclusions and Suggestions
Jen: In case you may’t inform, I’m offered. This shoe appears match for my wants: a slim to reasonable match with glorious power return, and able to dealing with as much as reasonably technical terrain with none hassle. The one minor grievance I’ve is the rubbing from the excessive heel counter, however hoping that can break in with extra miles.
Jen’s rating: 9.9/10
(Journey: 10/10, Match: 9.5/10, Worth: 9.7/10, Fashion: 10/10),
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Please Additionally Watch Mike’s Deviate Nitro Elite Tail Preliminary Video Overview
4 Comparisons
HOKA Tecton X3 (RTR Overview)
Jen – each are true to dimension, however the Tecton X3 feels considerably roomier and runners who like the broader toebox of most HOKA sneakers could really feel that the Deviate is simply too constricting. Conversely, my narrower midfoot was locked down a lot better within the PUMA. Outsoles carry out equally nicely in moist and muddy situations and lugs are comparable (4mm within the Tecton, 3mm within the Deviate). Stack peak and weight are fairly comparable, with the Deviate having 1 mm extra drop (6 vs 5) and being barely lighter (225 vs 239 g in my samples). Each are prime of the road path supershoes, however I just like the PUMA barely higher.
Adidas Agravic Velocity Extremely (RTR Overview)
Jen – First, the disclaimer that I’ve solely demoed the ASU quite than put critical miles on it, however others at RTR have examined it totally and shared their ideas on the hyperlink above. The ASU has the next stack (38 vs 36 mm) and barely increased drop at 8 mm, which can have contributed to its decrease lateral stability. Each sneakers are extremely cushioned and bouncy with ~3 mm lugs and a few testers have had points with inflexible ankle or heel collars in each sneakers.
Nike ZoomX Ultrafly (RTR Overview)
Jen – Essentially the most notable distinction is weight: the Ultrafly is nearly a full ounce heavier, with a barely increased stack (38.5 mm heel/30mm forefoot). The Ultrafly can also be wider, particularly within the forefoot, and its ZoomX foam is softer than the Puma’s Nitro. Each sneakers have good power return because of the carbon19.1 plate/foam mixture. The Ultrafly’s Vibram outsole sports activities 3-3.5mm lugs, similar to the 3mm within the Deviate.
The North Face Summit Collection VECTIV Sky 2 (RTR Overview)
Jen – The VECTIV Sky 2 has a equally light-weight however sturdy mesh higher and accommodates lower-volume ft properly. The most important distinction between these two is the midsole: the VECTIV Sky 2 is a a lot lower-stack, firmer experience, whereas the Nitro Deviate has these two beneficiant layers of superfoam. Each have grippy outsoles, surprisingly good stability for plated sneakers, and an lively experience from the plates, however most runners will discover the firmer experience of the VECTIV Sky 2 higher suited to shorter races, whereas the Nitro Deviate may simply be a 100k or quick 100 mile shoe.
Index to all RTR critiques: HERE
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Samples had been supplied at no cost for evaluation functions. RoadTrail Run has affiliate partnerships and should earn fee on merchandise bought through purchasing hyperlinks on this article. These partnerships don’t affect our editorial content material. The opinions herein are solely the authors’.
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