Tom's Guide Verdict
The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is an exceptionally lightweight daily trainer that offers a balanced ride that’s comfortable for easy runs while also having some pop for workouts. It’s a strong rival to some of my favorite running shoes, like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL and Hoka Mach 7.
Pros
- +
Lightweight design
- +
Comfortable cushioning
- +
Good outsole grip
Cons
- -
Not as fast as some rivals
- -
Some might prefer more cushioning
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I first saw the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro under embargo at The Running Event in Texas in late 2025 and immediately marked it down as a shoe to look out for in 2026.
That’s because it has similar characteristics to some of the best running shoes I've tested. It’s lightweight, highly versatile, and available for a reasonable price, all of which reminds me of shoes like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL, Hoka Mach 7 and Asics Novablast 6.
When I finally got my hands on the Deviate Pure to test, it lived up to my high expectations — it’s light, comfortable, stable and fairly speedy, and it impressed me on long runs in particular.
In my Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review, I’ll cover the pros and cons of the shoe and compare it to rivals in its price bracket, like the Adidas Evo SL.
Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Price and availability
The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro launched in June 2026 and costs $150 in the U.S. and £130 in the U.K., a price that puts it among a cluster of excellent running shoes, like the Evo SL and Asics Novablast 6.
Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Design and fit
The Deviate Pure is currently available in five colors, including the white and red design I tested.
As someone who is generally between two sizes, I usually get the best fit by going for the smaller one with Puma shoes, and that was the case with the Deviate Pure. It’s quite a long and narrow shoe.
The shoe has a stack height of 38mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot for an 8mm drop, which means it’s not as maxed out as many daily trainers with stacks over 40mm.
It’s still well-cushioned, though, and impressively lightweight at just 7.7oz in my US men’s size 9.5, which is considerably lighter than Puma’s other trainers like the Velocity Nitro 4 and Deviate Nitro 4.
Upper
The Deviate Pure has a mesh upper with plentiful padding around the collar at the back of the shoe, and some on the tongue as well.
It’s an impressively comfortable upper for such a lightweight shoe, though not quite as breathable as some shoes with more open materials, especially around the toebox.
Midsole
The Deviate Pure has a midsole entirely made from Puma’s NitroFoam. In this case, it’s the nitrogen-infused PEBA version of the foam, as opposed to the nitrogen-infused ATPU version, which is found in shoes like the Velocity Nitro 4.
It’s a lightweight foam with a soft feel and some bounce, though not as lively and responsive as the ATPU version of NitroFoam in my view.
Outsole
Puma shoes always offer good grip thanks to the brand’s PumaGrip rubber, which is used generously to cover most of the bottom of the Deviate Pure.
The shoe gripped well for me on both roads and light trails, and despite the fact the Deviate Pure is built to be a very light shoe, the layer of rubber used on the outsole is pretty thick and should prove durable.
Puma Deviate Pure Nitro review: Running performance
I racked up a lot of miles in the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro over a three-day period that included an easy-to-steady progression run, a double workout day with one session doing long reps and the other shorter sprints, and a 12-mile recovery run the day after.
Versatility is the key strength of the Deviate Pure, and that’s what I was aiming to test with this variety of runs.
However, some runs were better than others. The shoe was perfect for the easy-to-steady run, offering comfort, stability and easy paces, and then plenty of pop for the steady section; I also loved it for the long recovery run I did — it’s more comfortable and supportive than most similarly lightweight shoes.
I was less impressed with its performance in the workout where I did longer reps, aiming to hold my half-marathon pace. The midsole foam isn’t as responsive as some, and the Pure isn’t very rockered or stiff, so it doesn’t push you forward and off your toes as well as plated trainers or a shoe like the Adidas Evo SL.
During that workout, I actually swapped to the Evo SL halfway through and found it a better shoe for holding a fast pace over the intervals.
Later that day, the Pure impressed me more during a workout, running short intervals of 60 seconds, because it’s such a light shoe, it supports those kinds of sprints.
Despite mild shortcomings at speed, the Deviate Pure impressed me greatly during my runs, and I think it’s a versatile trainer that will suit a wide range of runners well.
Should you buy the Puma Deviate Pure Nitro?
The Puma Deviate Pure Nitro is a great jack-of-all-trades running shoe; it handles most types of runs well, though I’d personally pair it with a faster option in a running shoe rotation to handle workouts and races.
If you’re someone who likes to have a few shoes on the go that excel for different runs, you’ll probably have a shoe that does each run better than the Deviate Pure, but as an all-rounder, it’s up there with the best available.
It’s not as fast as a shoe like the Adidas Evo SL, but it is more comfortable and stable, and it’s not as cushioned as a shoe like the Asics Novablast 6, but it is lighter and speedier.
The trio is great as all-rounders, and which you should opt for depends on what your priority is, but for the Deviate Pure to be competitive in such illustrious company shows what a great shoe it is.
