Puma Velocity Nitro 5

The Puma Velocity Nitro 5 is the workhorse of the German brand: a daily trainer for neutral runners who want to pile on the miles with a single shoe and, now and then, push a little. It has no plate, no exaggerated stack and no aggressive geometry, and yet it has been one of the most complete options in its range for years, although the brand is not a road running specialist and that limits its market. Within the Puma range it is the base the others build on: the Deviate Nitro 4 adds a carbon plate for intervals and steady runs at a good pace, and the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is reserved for giving it everything on race day.

Compared with the Velocity Nitro 4, Puma has changed the character of the shoe: it is more stable, more comfortable and more durable, at the cost of some of the lightness and spark that people liked so much in the previous one. The technical mesh upper (with at least 30% recycled material, possibly from the models they release every year, sustainability all the way) is breathable and quite plush, with a padded tongue that stays in place and spreads lace pressure well, a generously padded heel collar and a firm counter that locks the back of the foot in well. The last follows the Puma tradition, somewhat narrow at the heel and midfoot, although the base is wider than in the previous version and leaves more lateral room in the forefoot. The new insole is softer and more comfortable, but perhaps insulates too much from the midsole foam, losing some of that ground feel.

The big news is in that midsole, which debuts an A-TPU-based NITROFOAM™: soft, with good impact absorption and an elastic bounce that is unusual in shoes of this category. With 35 mm at the heel and 27 mm at the forefoot, the drop goes down from 10 to 8 mm, with a rounded heel that softens the landing and a flexible forefoot that encourages a natural ride, without a very pronounced geometry. The PUMAGRIP outsole now covers more surface and adds longitudinal grooves in the forefoot. It is still one of the grippiest on wet asphalt and Puma promises around 800 km of life, but it all depends on how each runner lands and how abrasive the running surface is. Ideal for easy to moderate daily runs, runs of up to an hour and a half and the occasional change of pace or hill without switching shoes.