The ultimate affordable shoe, from cushioned daily miles to fast-paced efforts
Finding a great running shoe that sits around the £100 price point isn’t impossible, but it can be tricky. Luckily, the Puma Velocity Nitro is here to make that search significantly easier.
Puma’s Nitro range has a number of options to choose from, ranging from carbon plate speed shoes to the lightweight Liberate. The Velocity sits at the lower end of the range when it comes to budget, designed to deliver a cost-effective and balanced daily experience.
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The shoe incorporates a host of technical features that can be found across its 2021 range, including a Pumagrip outsole and a Nitro foam midsole.
We’ve been putting the Puma Velocity Nitro through its paces over 60 miles of running. Is it worth investing in as your next daily training shoe? Let’s take a look.
The specs
Price: £100 | Weight: 261g/9.2oz (Men) | Type: Road | Heel to toe drop: 10mm | Sizing: Fits slightly long, but also narrow | Alternatives: Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38, Hoka One One Rincon 2, Adidas SL20, New Balance FuelCell Propel
Design
The Puma Velocity Nitro is a daily shoe that’s designed to be used across a range of training formats, offering responsiveness and speed with enough cushioning to tackle longer distance efforts.
The main feature that allows that is the addition of Puma’s Nitro foam, a nitrogen-infused midsole material similar to that seen in the Brooks DNA Flash technology.
On the outsole is a generous covering of Pumagrip rubber that includes a formidable ridged surface for traction on wet or slippy surfaces.
The upper is made from a breathable mesh material that has a good level of cushioning around the collar. To the rear of the shoe, the heel is also reinforced with TPU for additional support and stability.
For us, the fit was slightly long. So you could go a size down. But take note that it’s also a fairly narrow shoe.
Road testing
Considering the modest price tag, the Puma Velocity is an impressively versatile shoe that has an enormous amount going for it. Not only does it work well as a comfortable daily trainer when it comes to cushioning and comfort, but it’s no slouch when it comes to faster training days either.
That Nitro foam midsole is a fantastic addition to the shoe and perfectly balances cushioning with responsiveness. There’s definitely cushioning there and over longer runs it does a great job at deadening any impact from the concrete – but, it doesn’t limit you when you want to pick up the pace. For faster efforts, it feels both light and snappy and makes the Velocity a good option for tempo training or evening racing – on a budget.
The Pumagrip outsole is, for us, the standout feature of the shoe. Not only does it offer an impressive level of grip across wet to slippy terrain, but it is likely to add a high level of durability to the shoe based on what we’ve seen from testing so far. Perhaps the most notable point about the outsole is that despite the thick covering, Puma has still managed to keep the weight of the shoe down to a respectably lean level.
The upper constriction feels firm and stable, whilst still being breathable when things start to heat up. The cushioning, especially around the collar, also makes the shoe a consistently comfortable option to wear over longer distances.
Summary
For the price, the Puma Velocity Nitro is an exceptional option for those looking for a great all-rounder that delivers across a range of uses. For beginners, or those looking for a one-size-fits-all shoe, it’s difficult to find any flaws, especially considering you can often find the shoe at a cheaper price than the RRP.
For those with a more extensive shoe collection, it’s a workhorse that will cover off the mileage without wearing down your more expensive options – although you may actually find that some of those may get replaced after a few miles in these.
