With Puma’s release of their SHOWTIME Race-Day Running Collection, their sponsored athletes are likely to draw many looks at Monday’s 130th annual Boston Marathon. That is, if you don’t look away and miss them.
Combined with Puma’s cutting edge technology and in eye-catching silhouettes, the Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 and Deviate NITRO Elite 4 are getting a glow-up in an eclectic new palette of mismatched neon pink, yellow, and blue colorways. So not only will you feel extremely fast, you’ll look fast too.
Be sure to smile when you see a race photographer, as their lenses may be drawn to you.
The carbon-plated Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 is no stranger to appearances on marathon podiums. It was on the feet of Fiona O’Keeffe when she won her debut marathon effort, which just happened to be at the 2024 Olympic Trials.
The top of the line racing shoe weighs a feathery 170 grams (6 ounces) despite its midsole stack made of 40 millimeters of explosive aliphatic TPU in the heel and 32 in the forefoot, giving it a drop of 8 millimeters. The carbon fiber PWRPlate is sandwiched between two decoupled layers of foam; firmer in the forefoot and softer in the heel. The result is an exciting and propulsive ride.
The Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 is not only for podium finishers.
Puma’s Project 3 had 69 of 180 participants shave 3 or more minutes from their marathon PRs, with average time savings of 4 minutes and 6 seconds, resulting in a reported payout of $132,000 from Puma to the Project 3 participants.
The more middle of the pack friendly option, the Deviate NITRO Elite 4, gets the same cosmetic makeover.
Remaining untouched is the tech that makes this shoe a top marathon-ready race shoe and exciting workout shoe. The same curved carbon fiber PWRPlate sits between two layers of the aforementioned NITRO Elite foam, one softer layer closer to the foot and a firmer layer near the road. The Deviate NITRO Elite 4 offers the same lightweight (170g) package, but on a slightly more stable platform.
Aliphatic TPU, or a-TPU, is what makes up Puma’s NITRO Elite foam. It is widely considered a top of the line midsole foam, with science to back it up. Lab results show a greater energy return than in PEBA-based foams, which sat on the throne after its introduction in 2016.
A recent research study done by UMASS Amherst showed an improvement in running economy of up to 3.6% when running in the Puma Fast-R NITRO Elite 3.
Both the Fast-R NITRO Elite 3 and Deviate NITRO Elite 4 sport the legendary PUMAGRIP outsole, known amongst most running shoe geeks as the grippiest road shoe outsole in the industry. And with the new SHOWTIME colors you can crush your Boston Marathon goals in style with confidence that you’ll be sure-footed while putting forward your best performance and turning heads along the course.
Checkout our full review of the Fast-R NITRO Elite 3
Checkout our full review of the Deviate NITRO Elite 4
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