Deviate Nitro 4

I paid ₹16,000 for the Puma Deviate Nitro 4. It uses a carbon fibre plate that Puma calls the Power Plate, and a dual-density midsole: a soft, very bouncy PEBA-based supercritical Nitro foam on top and a harder EVA blend below for stability. My UK 8 weighs 240 g, a bit heavy for a plated trainer. The stack is 38 mm at the heel and 30 mm at the forefoot with an 8 mm drop, and I welcome the lower drop. The ride was very pleasant. At 5:00 to 5:30/km it felt soft and forgiving, and at 4:00/km I could feel the energy return. The plate is not as aggressive as the Magic Speed 5's, which only came alive for me at very fast paces. For my profile this was the much better shoe. I still wish the foam were a bit more energetic. If it were, it would be top of the line. The forefoot is more accommodating than the previous version, but Puma shoes run narrow. If you have wide feet, forget Puma. There is also a cut on the medial side that gave me some pronation issues, so it will not suit everyone. Grip is extraordinary, as with every Puma shoe I have run in, which is also why Puma is so popular for Hyrox. Puma states 800 km on its website, which is rare for a plated trainer. Even 600 to 800 km would make it worth the money. It suits three kinds of runners: Hyrox athletes who are not beginners and do not have wide feet, runners with two or three years of running whose easy pace is around 5:00/km and who want one shoe for daily training, long runs and racing, and first-time racers who want an entry-level carbon racing shoe. The ₹16,000 retail price is a con. It often drops to ₹10,000–11,000 on Flipkart and Myntra, so wait for that. For myself, I prefer a firmer ride and would rather buy the ASICS Sonicblast.