Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3: Tested in the lab and over 26.2 miles
Weight: 194g (UK 8)
Stack height: 40mm (heel), 32mm (forefoot)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm
Type: Road
Best for: Races, speed sessions
The shoe
‘So nice we had to release it twice.’
These are the words that Puma Running recently posted to its Instagram grid, alongside a glimpse of a soon-to-be-released new colourway of its Deviate Nitro Elite 3 – so proud is the brand of this super shoe.
But even when it first released the shoe in its original ‘Fireglow’ colourway, Puma was confident that the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 would deliver blazing PB performances on the road. So confident, in fact, that the brand was willing to put it under unbiased scrutiny and quantitatively test it against a comparable, competitor super shoe in its own testing lab to see which one performed better, according to data.
This reveal-all experiment was a bold move by the brand – and I, with my chosen competitor shoe, was invited to be a guinea pig at the lab and see the data for myself. So, here’s what I’ve discovered about the Deviate Nitro Elite 3, from trialling it on a high-tech treadmill to putting it through its paces on race day – along with my verdict.
Part 1: Testing the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 in the lab
What was the purpose of the test?
As mentioned, Puma was keen to prove to the world that it was now on par with, if not better than, the more established running brands operating in the super shoe sphere. Puma believed that it had caught up with its competitors as fast as the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 propounds to be in races.
To show this through the hard evidence of numbers rather than through marketing words and opinions, Puma welcomed me to its North American HQ in Somerville, Massachusetts – located just a stone’s throw away from that famous marathon city of Boston. I was asked to bring nothing specific with me, other than the shoe that I wore when I ran my marathon PB – and which I’d wear again for my next road race. Again, to confirm, the super shoe that I packed belonged to a competitor brand.
The aim of the test was to determine whether I ran more economically in my PB-proven ‘rival’ shoe or in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 – and to work out, as a result, which of the shoes would give me a quicker marathon finish time. To measure my running economy, I ran in both shoes, in equal amounts, on Puma HQ’s huge and extremely high-spec treadmill, situated within its Nitro Lab. Puma was already using this top-end facility to measure the running economy of its best elite runners and to intricately test its latest running shoe technology. But now, the brand was giving me, a keen amateur, the rare opportunity to go behind the scenes and trot on this treadmill in a potentially better competitor shoe.
What even is running economy?
Running economy refers to the amount of oxygen that your body needs when you run at a given speed. It is one of three physiological factors that are generally considered to determine your running performance – the other two being VO2 max and lactate threshold – and the only one that can be directly modified by your running shoes.
If you can improve your running economy, you’ll be able to run at a faster speed with your existing physiological capacities. This faster speed will be metabolically easier to achieve – and it’ll feel easier, too.
So, your choice of running shoe really could make a difference to your individual running performance.
What did the running economy test involve?
Following a 15-minute easy run on the Nitro Lab treadmill to warm up, I ran for a few more minutes on the treadmill while wearing a mask – just like the ones people wear for VO2 max lab tests – to get used to having it over my face while moving. This mask measured my breathing rate and played a key part in the running economy evaluation process.
Next up was the test itself: 6 x 5 minutes of running on the treadmill, while wearing the mask, at my chosen marathon pace (in this case, 4:15 min/km, or 6:50 min/mile). I had to take 5 minutes of complete rest in between sets.
I was also required to alternate between the two shoes for each 5-minute block, which meant that I ran the first, third and fifth blocks in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 and the other three blocks in the competitor shoe that I’d brought with me. While the shoes felt great, the mask felt very strange at the start.
The intelligent treadmill, which had a non-springy surface that replicated an outdoor road, was hooked up to sensors that captured me, my skeleton and all my movements – giving a full kinematic analysis. This information, along with that gathered from the mask, was then fed into a computer to be interpreted.
What were the test results?
The results were intriguing.
According to the test data, when running in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3, I have a quicker cadence (3.26 steps per minute, versus 3.22 steps per minute in the competitor shoe) and a shorter ground contact time (0.189 seconds versus 0.194 seconds). This is good news for Puma, as having a quicker cadence and shorter ground contact time is associated with faster running times and a reduced injury rate. The data also found that my ground impact forces were lower in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 than they were in the competitor shoe, and that my transitions in the Puma shoe were smoother.
Overall, my average running economy was found to be best in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 by 0.46%. While this figure might mean nothing when you don’t know the scale, I was informed that, due to the inherent variability in measuring running economy, differences of less than 0.5% mean that there is no significant variation between the tested shoes.
As such, the two super shoes are almost equally effective when tied to my feet – although the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is an ever-so-slightly more economical choice for me as a marathon runner.
Part 2: Testing the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 on the road
On almost all counts, running shoes do not simply belong on a treadmill. They are designed to deal with – and perform appropriately, if not outstandingly, on – outdoor surfaces.
The Deviate Nitro Elite 3, then, was not built for lab-based running economy tests – it was made to go hard on the road. So, it made sense for me to give this shoe a very good go outside, for speed sessions, a half marathon and, as it happened, the toughest road marathon I’ve tackled to date. Since it was shown to be so effective for me in the Nitro Lab, I had faith that it would serve me well in the real world, too.
How does the shoe fit?
The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 locks down the midfoot snuggly and securely – you don’t need to tug at the laces tightly to keep the shoe in place. As someone with a slightly narrower foot who enjoys a slim, streamlined fit, this suits me to a tee. If you have wide feet, though, you may find this shoe a little restrictive around the midfoot.
That said, the toe box is still spacious enough to give your toes some literal wiggle room, while the Ultraweave upper gently moulds to your foot to reduce friction thanks to its four-way stretch. Super-light and barely there, the upper’s mesh material also lets your foot breathe on even the hottest of running days.
And I can attest to this. Before lining up for the 2024 EVA Air Marathon in a very warm Taiwan at the end of October, I knew that I’d be running 26.2 miles through intense heat and humidity – so I needed all the help I could get. As such, I chose to wear the Deviate Elite 3 – which the data had determined to be a great race day option for me – to help me conquer the tough conditions as quickly as possible. The result? An overheated and agitated body, yes – but feet that remained cool and comfortable enough throughout the marathon effort.
If I’m to pick holes in anything fit-related, it would be the laces. Although pleasantly soft and easy to tie, the synthetic material does start to fray after several wears.
What’s the shoe like to run in?
As shown by the Nitro Lab test results, my cadence is quick in the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 – and I can feel it. With a significant rocker geometry and 8mm drop (which is 2mm greater than that of the Deviate Nitro Elite 2), this shoe propels you forward smoothly but sharply, helping to increase your leg turnover for those speed sessions and races.
This is enhanced by the leaner but stronger full-length PWRPLATE carbon plate – which you can see peeping out through the bottom of the shoe – and Puma’s nitrogen-injected Nitro Elite midsole foam, which is sturdy, responsive and wondrously lightweight. In fact, the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is 60g lighter than the previous iteration, the Deviate Nitro Elite 2.
Although the midsole can feel a little on the firm side at times, this neutral shoe is still supportive and very well cushioned despite its slight weight and energetic ride. Plus, it is remarkably robust – I raced in this shoe for a half marathon that spent more time than anticipated off-road and on gravelly paths, and the rubber outsole and filmy upper tackled the stones and debris surprisingly well.
RW verdict
The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 is taller, lighter and more determined than its predecessor. In other words, it has been specifically engineered to deliver speed and demonstrate why Puma should be taken seriously as a top contender on the roads.
I, for one, take this shoe seriously. Having put the Deviate Nitro Elite 3 through many miles already, and seen the raw, uninfluenced data to say that I can run marathons more economically in it than my previous go-to race shoe (just about), it gets a double thumbs up from me. Boasting durability, high energy return and, in my opinion, a great aesthetic, this nimble, snappy shoe deserves to attract the attention of runners who are targeting a new PB.
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