Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 – the most versatile and durable super shoes in the market!

I have been using Puma’s top of the line Deviate Nitro Elite 2 for more than 6 weeks now. In this period, I have used them for various types of training runs and also ran a full marathon at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024. Overall, I have clocked a little less than 200k mileage in the shoes already!

If I had to summarise the entire review in 5 words those would be: a) Versatile, b) Stable, c) Durable, d) Affordable, and e) Need to be more propulsive.

So let us dig in with the details. I will skip most of the technicals to focus more on the experience and feel of the shoes. Technicals are plastered everywhere on web, anyways!

First Impressions

Elite 2 looks quite stunning. The fact that I got the dual shade colorway made them look even more cooler. They also feel quite light and suprisingly less bulky (you know how bulky the carbon plated shoes can get!). The upper also appears quite robust and durable – I hate those flimsy plasticy uppers! Overall, for the MRP of Rs 17,999 the shoes actually look much more premium!

On the run

Easy pace runs

I broke in the shoes with an easy pace 10K – a recovery run, with paces in 5:45 to 6:15 zone. The fit is super snug – not too tight, not too loose across the entire foot profile. I was not expecting a significant amount of soft and springy cushioning but was surprised with the softness of the ride. Even for the relatively slower pace zone (for the carbon shoes), they felt quite stable and negotiated the turns quite well. I am prone to ankle turn over on the right foot so went it with caution but after a few Ks I stopped bothering about side rolls.

Intervals

Next run was a 400m intervals and I was looking forward to this one – a kind of real test for the super shoes. The pace zones were 3:50 to 4:00. The forward propulsion was quite good but I found it a little on the lower side. The carbon plate profile along with stack height of 36mm and softer mid sole surely was not delivering the propulsion levels of Nike Vapor Fly or Saucony Endorphins Pro. But, at amatuer level pace zones, the difference hardly matters – this is my personal view. What really matters is how forgiving the shoes are on your calves and the rest of the system and on that count I prefer less agressive profile. That’s the only way to keep injuries of knees & calves away.

Long Runs

The subsequent run was a long run at progressive pace points and the final segment of 10K at marathon pace. With the combination of stability, cushioning and superior fit, the shoes handled the entire long run with flying colors, literally! At multiple points, fellow runners inquired about the color way and one of them actually asked if I got two pairs and wearing the dual color! I could feel the breathability and sturdiness of the upper; it handled a few water spills here and there quite well. The energy returns were just a little lower than other carbon shoes. However, the feet felt quite fresh and less battered post this pacey 30K+ run.

In the race

I ran my FM (first FM of the calendar year 2024) at the Tata Mumbai Marathon in these shoes. As expected the shoes did quite well. Here is where I got the real feel of PumaGrip outsole which provided exceptional grip and stability across several wet patches near the water station – you know how messy those areas get during a race. The race featured various surfaces – tar road, cemented road, metal slabs (yes, there was a patch where we ran on metal sheets right on top of the underground metro construction tunnel) and some gravel laden rough patches. Never once did I feel any slipagges or loss of stability. The outer felt breathable all through and I did not feel any water seeping into the socks despite a few water spills and sponge rubs on the way. Once again, I found the propulsion kicker a little lacking during the final segment of the FM when I was trying to amp up the pace (or may be I was too tired to push the pace!). The recovery post the FM was fairly quick all thanks to good cushioning and not too aggressive profile.

What’s awesome about these shoes:

There are quite a few things going for these shoes:

• Elite 2 are quite versatile for a race shoes. They handle all pace points well. I think Puma folks engineered these shoes to be versatile v/s just a racing super shoe.
• I am down almost 200km in these shoes as I write this but there is no visible sign of wear and tear. Further, I do not feel any loss of energy returns either on the mid sole or the plate. I am not sure how much mileage has the brand recommeded for these shoes but I feel these would easily last 500K+ for me. This is a huge leg up over other counterparts like Endorphins Pro 3, Adios Pro or VapourFlys which rarely go beyond 400K without major energy return and mid sole deterioration.
• The MRP of Elite 3 is on the lower side when compared to equivalent shoes in the competition brands. Further, these shoes are durable and surely going to give more useful mileage v/s its competitors. This makes them the most affordable carbon shoes in the market.
• Kudos to the folks are Puma for making a stable carbon plate shoe. This is a blessing in diguise for folks with dodgy ankle that is prone to roll over. They also negotiate all surfaces fairly well.
• The color way of the shoes are awesome. I know it is an individual thing but I love the dual color concept. I was a little apprehensive initially but no longer now.

What’s not going for these shoes:

• Elite 2 needs a little amp up on the propulsion bit. This is one department where other super shoes brands trump Puma. I guess it has got to do with the fact that Puma tried to make these more versatile v/s just race shoes.
• The size curve needs 0.5 sizes. Many folks in my running group who are used to half sizes found it tough to get the right fit for them. They felt one size lower is too narrow and one size higher is too wide. Net, they are stuck with sub-optimal fit purely because of the absence of half sizes.
• The stack height at 36mm still has a lot of room left for improvement as it is ‘far’ below the permissible limit. I am sure the next iteration is going to be more aggressive.

Report Card

(rating on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being very poor and 5 being excellent)

Parameter	Rating
Cushioning	4
Durability	5
Performance	4
Stability	4.5
Fit	3.5
Affordability	4
Versatility	5
Propulsion/Energy Returns	4

Conclusion

Deviate Nitro Elite 2 are one of the most versatile super shoes (carbon plated shoes) in the market. The durability is excellent which makes these shoes a great value for money v/s its competitors. The shoes are also right up there when it comes to stability and beats its competitors hands down. The color ways are also quite bold and funky – a sure shot head turner!

The propulsion of the shoes is relatively lower compared to its competitors so runners looking for purely race shoes with aggressive profile may not like Elite 2. Also, tough luck for the runners in between sizes as you will struggle to get the right fit. Runners who prefer extremely light weight shoes might find them a little on the heavier side.

---

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 2 are available on Puma.com at the MRP of Rs 17,999. Here is the link: https://in.puma.com/in/en/search?q=elite%202. The shoes are also available on other leading online portals. The discounts vary depending on the promotions run by these portals.

PS: Our running group has recently kick started working with Puma India team on the Nitro series. Those folks have been kind enough to kit us with shoes and accessories for some of our upcoming races. This review, however, is unsolicited and purely done out of my personal experience.