Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 Overview and First Run Review

The Deviate Nitro Elite 3 was one of our favorite race shoes of the past few years, so the 4 was a highly anticipated update. After the first run, we're happy to report that Puma kept much of the spirit intact of the predecessor while making some key upgrades to the weight, upper and comfort. It's an A+ from us out of the gates. 

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4 vs Deviate Nitro Elite 3: What Changed?

Puma had a winner with the Deviate Nitro Elite 3, so they very wisely didn't change much. They kept the 40mm of stack in the feel with an 8mm drop, along with the same or very similar ATPU midsole and a carbon fiber plate. They were able to reduce the weight from 194 grams in v3 down to 170 grams in v4. One of the complaints of Puma shoes in the past has been the narrower fitting upper, but Puma responded with a roomier, more accommodating upper that should please a lot of runners. They kept the PUMAGRIP outsole, but removed some of the rubber from the medial side of the heel.

Race Day

Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

Race shoe designed for speed and versatility

Price

$250

Plated?

Yes

Foam

ATPU

Weight (oz)

6.0

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

Puma Fast-R 3 vs Deviate Nitro Elite 4: How do Puma's Two Race Shoes Compare?

The Deviate Nitro Elite 4 has an approachable geometry designed to work well for a wide variety of runners, with a ride that naturally favors heel and midfoot landings while the Fast-R 3 has a highly-rockered geometry that rewards a forefoot strike and a bounding stride. The new version of the Deviate Nitro Elite is significantly lighter than the previous version, bringing it down to the same weight as the ultra-light Fast-R 3 (only 170 grams). They both feature Puma's NITRO Elite ATPU midsole. In the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 the foam delivers a reliable, smooth, and bouncy ride, but in the Fast-R 3 it reads slightly softer. The outsole geometry of the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 gives it a stable, planted underfoot feel with its minimal cutouts, which is in stark costrast to the de-coupled midsole and large forefoot landing pad of the Fast-R 3.

Race Day

Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3

Marathon race shoe designed for speed and lab tested to be more efficient than anything else on the market

Price

$300

Plated?

Yes

Foam

ATPU

Weight (oz)

6.0

Drop (mm)

8

Support

Neutral

see details

First Run Review of the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 4

Thankfully, Puma has taken an iterative approach with this update, keeping the DNA of the previous generation intact while making small optimizations. Maintaining a supportive platform, balanced midsole foam, and a versatile, “no-weirdness” underfoot feel, the Nitro Elite 4 performs almost identically to the last-gen model. For us, that’s great news: the market needs an accessible racer for the masses.The one thing to keep in mind is that, like the Deviate Nitro Elite 3, this still doesn’t feel like the optimal shoe for “grip and rip” forefoot running at top-end speeds. That’s what the Fast-R 3 excels at though, so having a more a heel/midfoot-friendly racer makes perfect sense for Puma’s lineup. This one gets an A+ from us after our first run.

Check out Yowana's full video review of the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 on the YouTube channel:

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