PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail Shoe Review
Published: April 23, 2025
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail: Off-Road Super Shoe
Likes
- Cushioned and responsive foam
- Generous yet secure fit
- Versatile rubber outsole for multiple terrains
Dislikes
- Shallow lugs
- Slightly stiff
What's New
The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail is a high-performance trail racing shoe built to help runners chase PRs on fast, runnable terrain. It’s PUMA’s first true trail "super shoe," blending road-racing DNA with trail-specific updates—and it delivers.
The standout feature is the dual-layer NITROFOAM Elite midsole, sandwiching a carbon-composite PWRPLATE for responsive, snappy propulsion. This combo provides a light, energetic ride that still feels stable and protective over long distances. The ULTRAWEAVE upper is breathable and race-ready, offering secure lockdown while accommodating a variety of foot shapes.
Rounding things out, the PUMAGRIP ATR outsole provides full-length rubber coverage with a sticky and adaptable feel. It works great on dry, rocky, and hard-packed trails, though all three testers noted it would benefit from deeper lugs for wet or muddy conditions. This shoe is aimed at trail runners looking for a fast, fun, and elite-level shoe for long distances and race day.
The Bottom Line
The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail is a confident and capable trail racing shoe that blends speed and comfort in a way few competitors do. We raved about its energetic yet stable ride, secure and breathable upper, and smooth transition from road tech to rugged terrain. While it could benefit from slightly deeper lugs for wet or muddy trails, the overall package is one of the best in the plated trail racer category.
Whether you're toeing the line at a trail marathon or chasing FKTs, this shoe stands out with its balance of responsiveness, fit, and value—outperforming or matching more expensive rivals like the HOKA Tecton X 3 and Nike Ultrafly. If you want a trail super shoe that doesn't hold back, this is it.
Specifications & Fit
Shoe Specs
| Weight | Men's: 9.6 oz (size 9), Women's: 8.0 oz (size 8) |
| Stack Height | 37 mm (Heel), 31 mm (Forefoot) | 6 mm Heel-Toe Offset |
| Terrain | Trail |
| Stability | Neutral |
| Sizing | True to Size |
Our In-Depth Look
Upper
Loucas: "I’m in love with the fit. They achieved a deep, snug, and supportive heel cup (note: lateral ankle collar needs a little break-in). It combines with a secure midfoot and a pleasantly accommodating toe box. This upper nails the mark for beautiful lockdown for high-speed racing security, yet comfortable. I’d wager that many will find it surprisingly accommodating for different foot types."
Becky: "The upper is one of my favorite things about this shoe. The Ultraweave material is breathable and the fit is accommodating, but importantly I can lock the heel down so I am not sliding around in them. I got zero hot spots after a 50 mile run."
Erik: "Overall, I love the fit and feel of this shoe. The upper material is tough and durable for the trails, but still compliant so that the foot is held in place but not constricting. I did notice two small issues on longer runs. The first is the tongue of the shoe showed some slippage on longer efforts (2-3 hours) and I couldn’t find a good way to secure it with traditional tying. Then I started to feel the PWRTape overlays on the lateral side of the shoe close to the base of the little toe. It wasn’t an irritation as much as it was noticeable. This could produce more of an issue for longer efforts."
Midsole
Loucas: "This fits my tendency towards slightly firmer foams, but it has such a nice initial hint of squish to absorb impact and feel protected. Then, it gives you a lovely responsive bounce that puts a smile on your face and makes you want to go faster. In general, I'm skeptical of plated trail shoes, especially if they’re too rigid. This carbon-composite plate is definitely rigid, but I was pleasantly surprised that it had more than adequate flexibility. I’d like it to be a touch more flexible, but I have a feeling it might continue to loosen up a bit with use."
Becky: "Nitro foam is a magical thing if you have ever worn PUMA road shoes. It is soft and bouncy, but not marshmallow soft. It strikes such a perfect balance. These shoes can fly if you want to run fast."
Erik: "What a combination of foam and the plate. I’ve loved the Deviate Elite for the roads and this shoe brings that feel to the trails, but in an adaptive manner with the plate. It felt stable and quick over a variety of terrain."
Outsole
Loucas: "I like the broad shapes of the individual lugs, and their wide spacing WOULD make them good in the mud, if only they’d give me just 1.5-2.0 mm more lug depth. The one-piece and full-length rubber provides generous coverage that should hold up well. It’s one of my great regrets that I didn’t push the PUMAGRIP to its limits on wet rocky stretches during my testing period. I’ll continue to use this shoe and look forward to finding out."
Becky: "The PUMAGRIP ATR outsole works well on California trails. I did hit a couple of wet patches and had no issues. It also performs well on steep descents. I cannot comment on muddy terrain, as it rarely rains in California, but I would probably want longer lugs if it did."
Erik: "Good grip and excellent feel. This shoe doesn’t need the stickiest rubber you can find, but rather a good balance of being sticky and soft that will work very well on a variety of terrain. I didn’t get a chance to run in wet conditions so I can’t comment on that, but it handled the rocky, smooth and varied terrain at a variety of paces. The underfoot feel is amazing."
Comparable Models
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail vs HOKA Tecton X 3
Becky: "The Tecton X 3 works well for me for long efforts, and has a little more cushion, but does not have the same lively foam as the PUMA Deviate Elite Trail."
Erik: "For $45 more, you get a built-in gaiter and the HOKA cushioning underfoot, but the PUMA Trail shoe is very comparable at a more reasonable price."
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail vs adidas Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra
Loucas: "Overall, it matches up closest to the Agravic Speed Ultra in terms of stack height, short lugs, and fun firm ride. I favor the PUMA’s stack height, fit, and stability combination for confident predictability on technical sections. It’s less banana-curved and broader-waisted (the narrow bit under the middle of your foot) than the adidas, both of which are big positives for trustworthiness. I just need deeper lugs."
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail vs The North Face Summit Pro 3
Becky: "The North Face Summit Pro 3 has more cushion, but feels less stable and does not work well for lots of vert. The Deviate Elite Trail is the perfect balance of cushion, responsive ride, fast, and great fit."
PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail vs Nike Ultrafly Trail
Erik: "The Nike Ultrafly has the same ultra-long distance relaxed underfoot feel with a superfoam and plate, but the PUMA Trail does it better at a much more reasonably priced experience. The PUMA Trail shoe is snappier and accelerates much better."
Individual Thoughts
LoucasOverall Score: 9/10
Overall, PUMA nailed it – they made a fun fast shoe that just works. I look forward to spending time in it. It’s supposed to provide elite racing propulsion on smoother and more runnable trails, not technical mountains. It definitely does that, and it’s likely more technically capable than many would expect. Loose ground and mud will be an issue, though, as it feels significantly limited by lack of lug depth.
Other things to note: it runs on the longer side of true to size, but not long enough for me to go a half size down. On both shoes, for the bit of rubber that wraps up on the toe box mesh, I see a little start of delamination at the upper edge, above my middle toe.
Its stack height and stability are just right: enough cushiony bouncy protection for long miles, yet with the sleek speed and agility for hot-pace racing. During my first run at my favorite local mountain, after only 30 minutes of running in it, I just couldn’t resist opening up my stride to send it down a 1.5 mile tricky technical descent, smiling the whole time. I can’t wait to keep racking up miles in it.
BeckyOverall Score: 10/10
The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail exceeds my expectations of my perfect trail shoe. It is such a blast to run in, but I don’t want to wear them out so I am saving them for important races and key long runs. The fit is perfect, the Nitro foam is magic, and they grip well. I took them on a 50 mile trail race with tons of climbing and my feet were still happy at the end of the day. It’s in contention for favorite trail shoe of the year, and on the top list of all time.
ErikOverall Score: 9.5/10
It isn’t often a shoe lives up to early first impressions, but the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail hits the mark. When I saw this shoe in an early presentation, I was very much anticipating a Deviate Nitro Elite for the trails. As soon as I took the finished product to the trails, I could tell that the experience lived up to the anticipation. Versatile and fast, the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail gives the wearer a top end performance shoe for long and fast efforts. It is snappy enough to race in and cushioned enough for training runs. Lace them on and get ready for an elevated experience on the trails.
PUMA Men's Deviate Nitro Elite Trail
The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail is a pinnacle super shoe to push how far and fast you can race on trails.
PUMA Women's Deviate Nitro Elite Trail
The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite Trail is a pinnacle super shoe to push how far and fast you can race on trails.
