PUMA Speedcat OG review

We believe the PUMA Speedcat OG offers solid value for money to people who:

• enjoy that distinctive sleek motorsport aesthetic
• have narrower feet and enjoy close-fitting uppers
• prefer flexible, low-profile sneakers with plenty of ground feel
• mainly need a pair for short outings, driving, or as a statement piece
• could use a sneaker with real and durable suede at a reasonable price

If limited impact protection is a dealbreaker for you, the suede version of the New Balance 204L is also a clean-looking yet better cushioned alternative for all-day wear.

Those who find the Speedcat OG's slim fit too restrictive could consider the adidas Gazelle. It retains a sleek suede silhouette but offers a little more forefoot space.

One look at the PUMA Speedcat OG is enough to understand that this sneaker does not prioritize cushioning. Intended to feel like an extension of an F1 racer's foot on the pedal, it offers a rather limited shock absorption of 75 SA in the heel.

This level of impact protection is insufficient for long hours of walking or standing, but curiously, it is still higher than that of the adidas Samba OG (47 SA).

Featuring a thin layer of low-rebound IMEVA foam in its midsole, the Speedcat OG is far from springy. Its static ride is reflected in a low, below-average energy return measurement of 41.7%.

The motorsport DNA of this PUMA kick dictates its low-profile build, resulting in a low heel stack of 23.0 mm. But while it's undoubtedly more grounded than the average lifestyle sneaker, it's not as slim-soled as some other minimalist sneakers in our lab.

Its forefoot stack also proved to be lower than average at 15.4 mm. This setup offers a ground-hugging sensation but can feel too bare-bones for people with sensitive toe joints or the ball of the foot.

As expected from a driving-oriented sneaker, its drop also falls below the average at 7.7 mm.

This minimal offset keeps the heel and forefoot relatively level, creating a more uniform platform for pedal contact. 

That slim layer of IMEVA foam packed into the Speedcat OG's sole doesn't feel particularly soft.

But with a durometer reading of 40.1 AC, it has a touch of softness to provide just enough compression for minimal comfort.

As flat as it can be, this PUMA sneaker offers a sense of plantedness and connection with the ground from heel to toes.

If the PUMA Speedcat OG looks like a narrow-fitting shoe, you're not imagining things. This racing kick is meant to fit snugly to avoid any potential foot shifting inside the shoe and provide enhanced pedal feedback and control.

But just how snug are we talking?

After measuring the dimensions of the shoe's gel cast with a caliper, we can confirm that it is one of the snuggest sneakers in our catalog.

With only 87.8 mm in the widest part of the forefoot, it clearly caters to people with narrow-to-medium feet. Wide-footed folks are very likely to find their toes cramped in this PUMA silhouette.

Sure enough, the Speedcat OG's fit stays slim all the way to the toes, with a modest width of 66.4 mm at the big toe. Not much room for toe splay here.

Vertically, the shoe's toebox also tapers aggressively towards the front, showing only 25.2 mm of height.

This can make the shoe's fit even more claustrophobic and put undesirable pressure on the toes.

Solid outsole traction is essential for secure foot positioning on the pedal, especially during hard braking or rapid pedal transitions. Even though the wearers of this PUMA sneaker aren't expected to race in Formula 1 (there is no stopping them, either), they can still benefit from the surefootedness it provides on smooth surfaces like tiles or wet concrete.

Our traction testing machine recorded a rather high, above-average friction coefficient of 0.68 in the Speedcat OG.

Aside from proving its highly effective grip, the Speedcat OG's outsole also carries a symbolic tire-inspired design, echoing its motorsport background.

The flat tread pattern promotes maximum surface contact, while the numerous sipes may help disperse water and maintain traction on wet surfaces.

With nothing standing in the way of this PUMA shoe's pliability, we found it exceptionally easy to bend in our stiffness test.

At 5.5N, it takes 60% less force to bend the Speedcat OG compared to an average casual sneaker! That makes it feel highly agile and accommodates extra smooth heel-to-toe transitions. For context, it is even more flexible than the adidas Samba (8.4N).

With its minimal construction, the PUMA Speedcat OG stays on the lightweight end of the sneaker spectrum. And if it weren't for its all-suede upper, it could've been even lighter.

Weighing it in a men's US size 9, we recorded 12.0 oz (340g). This is right on par with adidas's Samba and Handball Spezial.

It's hard to recommend the Speedcat OG for summertime given the absence of mesh panels, perforations, or other ventilation channels in its suede upper. Not even a faint plume of smoke passed through this PUMA shoe's toebox in our breathability test, resulting in a low score of 1 out of 5.

With its firm, low-stack platform, the Speedcat OG feels remarkably stable and planted underfoot. However, its relatively unstructured upper offers limited lateral support, allowing the foot to shift during side-to-side movements.

The shoe's lack of torsional rigidity showed up in our test, where it took only 8.9 Nm of torque to twist by 10 degrees. That's 45% below the category average and is, in fact, the lowest reading among our tested sneakers!

We also observed moderate stiffness in the heel counter of this PUMA shoe, as it bent rather effortlessly during our manual test. It offers basic support but nothing substantial, earning a middle-range stiffness score of 3 out of 5.

Just when we thought that it couldn't get any slimmer than the adidas Taekwondo, our caliper measured the Speedcat's forefoot width at an even narrower 87.6 mm! It feels like a one-to-one footprint, if not narrower.

The same is true for the shoe's midsole width in the heel. We recorded an ultra-slim reading of 73.0 mm at its widest point.

However, because this PUMA sneaker is so low-profile, its narrow midsole doesn't significantly affect its stability.

We applaud PUMA for using real, good-quality material even in such an affordable silhouette. And because its all-suede upper is the Speedcat OG's signature characteristic, we are glad that the brand didn't skimp on it.

Our butane torch test showed no melting, bubbling, or shrinking of the kick's upper material, confirming it to be real.

To further test the shoe's upper quality, we used a Dremel to sand the top of its toebox for 12 seconds. As the material showed only surface-level wear, we rated the Speedcat's toebox durability with a high 4 out of 5.

The smooth textile inside the shoe's collar showed equally impressive results, resisting the abrasion much better than average. That earned the shoe's heel padding durability a high score of 4 out of 5.

And even more importantly, the shoe's rubber outsole also stood up to the challenge as it didn't allow the Dremel to go any deeper than 0.8 mm. A better-than-average result for a sneaker!

However, the shoe's rubber layer turned out to be relatively thin, with a caliper reading of only 2.7 mm.

A moderately padded Ortholite insole is responsible for the basic underfoot comfort in the otherwise stripped-down Speedcat OG. We measured its thickness at 4.4 mm.

We found it easy to remove the shoe's insole. However, swapping it for an alternative insert can be tricky considering this PUMA kick's tight fit.

None of the standard Speedcat OG colorways come with any advertised reflective elements. However, PUMA has released a dedicated Speedcat Reflective edition for those who prefer low-light visibility.

Consistent with the rest of the shoe, the Speedcat's tongue features minimal padding at only 4.4 mm on our caliper. We didn't experience any particularly plush sensation on top of the foot, but found the buffer is decent enough.

The Speedcat OG's tongue is non-gusseted and, because it is quite long, it is prone to sliding sideways, especially for overpronating individuals.

Despite the lack of pull tabs, the PUMA Speedcat OG is easy to slip on and off thanks to its low-cut collar.

The PUMA Speedcat OG is offered at an accessible price but doesn't skimp on material quality or style.