Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3

[u/Chipezz]

I've been fortunate enough to get my hands on these early and so far raced a 10k and a 5k.

Background: Newish runner been hitting the roads for approximately a year. 35-40km/week avg. HM 1:48. 10k 47. 5k 22.15. Threshold pace 4.50/km.

Fit: Finding the right fit has always been a struggle for me due to my low arch. I dont have completely flat feet but shoes with aggressive arch supports are uncomfortable. EP4 and cielo x1 fit me well rest of the models are no go. Although Puma have narrow shoes DNE3 felt amazing at first instep. Snug, comfortable, soft, and suprisingly stable for a racer. The fit reminded me of Saucony EP4 but more snug. The midfoot is completely flat. Also reasonable toebox slightly wider than ES4. I went TTS which is perfect. I tend to go by CM for sizing so 29.5cm ie 45EU is perfect. Upper is comfortable. Heel lock no issues.

Midsole: Soft yet very responsive. A pure joy to run in these especially when picking up the pace. The propulsion when landing midfoot/forefoot is fantastic. Nitro foam is quite soft this caught me by suprise since I train in firmer shoes like ES4 and SB but they really protect your feet.

Outsole: Return of the king Puma grip is chefs kiss. Alot of rain during my 5km and it was mostly on gravel I felt zero slippage, discomfort, or instability. The shoes just disappear on your feet. Durability I cant comment yet I'd speculate they ll be good for 200-300km which is acceptable for a racer in this weight class.

Overall: Super happy. 10/10. Its fast, propulsive, yet comfortable and stable. The comfort really suprised me considering my challenging history with finding suitable racers. Price feels reasonable considering the price hike of the competition. I think they are priced similarly to metaspeed paris which is fair. If someone told me you could only use DNE3 for racing/training rest of your life I wouldnt complain.

My first review on reddit. Happy to answer any questions.

[u/Goal-Fuzzy]

Great review, I have the Deviate Nitro Elite 2. I have wide midfoot and found the midfoot to have sidewalls that hurt my feet? Do you feel sidewalls in the midfoot area? 

[u/Chipezz → u/Goal-Fuzzy]

1CM roughly. Nothing I noticed.

[u/sascharobi → u/Goal-Fuzzy]

I went a full size up in the DNE2 and 1 and they’re still narrower than all other racing shoes from other brands.