PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 review

The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is a top pick for:

• Runners coming from version 3 who wanted the same fast and bouncy ride, but in a much lighter and more refined package.
• Marathon racers searching for a solid super shoe with excellent grip, strong energy return, and a smooth race-ready geometry.
• Those who miss the feel of the OG Nike Vaporfly Next%, as this shoe reminded us more than almost any current rival of that iconic racer.

We found in the lab that the updated outsole design of the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 may create durability concerns for many heel strikers. Based on our lab tests, the Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 is a more long-lasting option... and also a great super shoe.

We also think that the narrow heel is not the best match for runners seeking extra stability. In our experience, the minimal heel counter and compact rear platform feel quite aggressive, and we believe the Nike Alphafly 3 or Saucony Endorphin Pro 5 offer a more confidence-inspiring ride.

If the DNE4 is a shoe you’re considering for the marathon racing season, we’re happy to confirm that it delivers more than enough protection for long-distance efforts.

With 148 SA in the heel and 118 SA in the forefoot, the level of shock absorption here is absolutely ready for even the most demanding road races.

The midsole continues to use the outstanding NITRO ELITE foam from the previous generation, an aliphatic TPU compound that already proved itself among the very best super shoe foams on the market. And once again, it delivered exceptional results in our lab with 77.4% energy return in the heel and 77.2% in the forefoot, instantly placing the DNE4 among the elite racers available today.

The heel stack height of the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 sits very close to the maximum allowed by World Athletics, reaching 37.2 mm in our measurements.

That’s exactly the kind of towering cushioning most runners now expect from a modern top-tier marathon super shoe.

The forefoot also includes a substantial amount of cushioning at 28.3 mm.

However, many recent super shoes now push well beyond the 30 mm mark, so dedicated midfoot and forefoot strikers may find options like the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Tokyo more appealing.

The drop lands on the higher side for a modern racer at 8.9 mm, making the shoe better suited for runners who enjoy a forward-rolling sensation rather than a lower-drop geometry.

It can also work well for heel strikers in that regard, although the limited stability in the rear may not make it the ideal choice for everyone. We'll check that too!

The excellent Nitro Elite foam powering the DNE4 delivers a balanced ride with a measured softness of 37.0 AC.

That makes it a great option for runners who dislike overly plush super shoes and prefer a slightly firmer sensation with a quicker and more immediate response underfoot. That direct feel is exactly what Nitro Elite is designed to offer.

The high stiffness created by the carbon-based PWRPLATE makes a pronounced rocker especially important for smooth transitions, and we clearly found that here.

After our runs, we concluded that the geometry feels very well balanced for a modern super shoe, and honestly we have almost no complaints about the ride design.

One area where PUMA is clearly putting serious engineering effort is the PWRPLATE design. Instead of using a simple flat carbon plate, the brand created a highly-sculpted structure with varying width, cutouts, and flowing grooves depending on the section of the shoe.

And this is exactly why fully dissecting shoes matters so much. If we only looked at the lateral side, we could easily wonder why the plate suddenly seems to disappear. Well, now we have the answer.

As we do with every shoe that enters our lab, we used the DNE4 as a mould to create a gel cast and take three precise fit measurements.

The first result already made things clear: at 93.6 mm, this is definitely a snug-fitting shoe. Then again, that’s hardly surprising for a top-tier racer.

However, there’s a major change here compared to its predecessor. Version 3 measured only 69.5 mm in the toebox, which became a clear problem for marathon racing where such a restrictive fit can create obvious discomfort over long distances.

This time, PUMA corrected that potential issue by increasing the toebox width to a much more accommodating 74.8 mm, making the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 noticeably better suited for longer races.

Toebox height should not cause any issues either.

At 26.5 mm, there’s enough vertical space to avoid excessive pressure on the toes during runs.

The PUMAGRIP compound continues to deliver dependable traction, and while a 0.69 score does not place it at the very top of our rankings, it remains more than strong enough to ensure excellent grip on wet asphalt.

There are some changes in the outsole, including one that may disappoint some heel strikers: the medial heel rubber has been removed. Runners who land heavily in that area and tend to wear out outsoles quickly there should avoid this shoe.

Beyond that, the outsole clearly prioritises performance. Rubber coverage is minimal overall, but the forefoot features solid coverage for confident toe-offs and sharp cornering at high speeds.

We secured the DNE4 to our custom-built machine to evaluate its stiffness, and it quickly became clear that PUMA aimed for a ultra-stiff super shoe. We measured 21.1N at 30 degrees, a result that strongly contributes to the snappy sensation underfoot.

For owners of the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 3, this dramatic weight reduction is easily the biggest reason to upgrade. The shoe dropped from 7.2 oz or 204g in v3 to just 6.1 oz or 173g in this new version.

It was a much-needed improvement, especially now that rivals like the Nike Vaporfly 4 have also become significantly lighter. Because of that, the DNE4 feels fully ready to stay competitive for the next few years.

The ULTRAWEAVE upper of the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is a major improvement over all three previous generations. It feels noticeably more comfortable, keeps the excellent ventilation we expected, and also looks incredibly sharp and modern.

After testing the airflow in the lab, we had no doubts about giving it a perfect 5/5 score for breathability. In fact, for very cold races, sock choice may actually matter because this upper lets in so much air.

When we shone a light through the material, we were genuinely amazed by how razor-thin and transparent the upper looked. It almost disappears against the light.

Under the microscope, the design became even more impressive. The toebox is packed with oversized ventilation holes, and the same highly-open structure extends through most of the upper.

However, what surprised us the most is how much padding PUMA managed to include despite the racing-focused build and ultra-light weight. The heel and tongue feel far more cushioned than what we usually find in competing super shoes.

The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is a neutral racing shoe. We found the forefoot to feel the most stable by far, while the narrow midfoot and heel are only suited for those with solid running technique.

That said, once we picked up the pace, transitions were more secure and controlled thanks to the rocker and stiff carbon plate.

The carbon plate inside the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is also notably rigid from a torsional standpoint, reaching 16.7 Nm in our lab tests.

That said, it does not reach the extreme levels seen in some maximalist models, as the 40 mm stack-height limit imposed by World Athletics clearly keeps things more controlled here.

The heel counter stiffness fully embraces a racing-focused approach, offering almost no structure at all and earning a minimal 1/5 score in our test. It genuinely feels like there’s barely anything holding the heel in place.

The race-day feel continues in the midsole dimensions, as we found the PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 to feature a notably narrow and aggressive platform. Because of that, runners who miss the sharp feel of old-school racing flats will likely enjoy this setup.

The forefoot reached just 105.9 mm at its widest point, a result that sits clearly below our lab average and also narrower than most competing super shoes.

If the forefoot already looked aggressive, the heel takes things even further.

At just 78.8 mm wide, the ride feels incredibly sharp and thrilling underfoot. In our opinion, heel strikers considering this shoe should have very polished running mechanics to fully handle such a narrow rear platform.

As expected from its razor-thin upper and ultra-lightweight construction, the toebox offered almost no resistance against our Dremel tool. The result was a very predictable 1/5, something that should not surprise anyone in a modern super shoe.

The heel padding performed far better in our durability test, earning a strong 4/5 result that gives us confidence about its long-term resistance to wear.

Many loyal fans of the brand would likely point to PUMAGRIP as one of the reasons to stay with PUMA.

It remains one of the few outsole compounds capable of combining dependable traction, low weight, and impressive durability in the same package, and it proved that once again here with a strong result: only 0.8 mm disappeared during our abrasion test.

The outsole uses 2.1 mm of rubber, which is quite generous for a modern super shoe.

In fact, we even wondered whether PUMA could slightly reduce that thickness to around 1.5 mm and instead extend the coverage toward the medial heel rather than leaving that area exposed.

The insole is one of the thinnest we’ve ever measured in the lab, a choice that makes perfect sense considering PUMA aimed to maximize the amount of Nitro Elite foam underfoot while still keeping the shoe within legal racing limits.

The insole is removable if needed, and we also noticed that it includes perforations throughout the design. Tiny details, but every marginal gain counts!

The A-TPU foam also performs exceptionally well in cold conditions. In the Deviate Nitro Elite 4, we found that after spending 20 minutes in the freezer, the midsole changed by only 6%, which is an outstanding result.

The PUMA Deviate Nitro Elite 4 does not include any reflective elements at all.

PUMA completely redesigned the tongue, giving it an unconventional shape that matches the bold design language seen across the rest of the shoe. We also appreciated the use of toothed laces, a small but important detail that some brands still ignore despite how effective they are for lockdown and how cool they look.

Another standout feature is the surprisingly plush tongue. At 3.8 mm thick, it offers an unusually padded feel for a super shoe, as many rivals barely include any cushioning and often stay close to 1 mm. PUMA also extended that padding through the full length of the tongue instead of limiting it to a small central section like we found in version 3.

Like most high-end super shoes, we found that the DNE4 comes without a gusseted tongue.

The heel design stays extremely simple and clean, without any kind of heel tab. However, PUMA added a nice touch by using a translucent TPU piece to cover and protect the upper stitching.

While many brands continue raising prices year after year, PUMA decided to keep the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 at the same retail price as its predecessor.

We think that makes it a very reasonable option considering the impressive specs and race-day performance it delivers, placing it directly against models like the Vaporfly and Adios Pro while still sitting one tier below the ultra-premium Fast-R series.