PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 review

The PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 is a really interesting running shoe for:

• Anyone who wants a responsive, affordable, and fun daily trainer.
• Runners who love PUMA's snug fit and excellent traction.
• Lighter runners who don't need a maximalist shoe and prefer a more agile design.
• Beginners looking for a versatile shoe that's comfortable for both running and everyday life.

The Velocity Nitro 5 is a fast shoe, but it's no longer at the top of the charts. For runners who want a daily running shoe with state-of-the-art energy return, we recommend two options: the adidas Adizero EVO SL or, if you can still find it in stock, the PUMA Velocity Nitro 4.

We also think the snug fit won't work for runners who need a more spacious forefoot. Instead, the Altra Escalante 5 is a good alternative if you don't mind a zero-drop shoe, while the Topo Cyclone 3 is an interesting alternative that also packs a foot-shaped toebox.

The Velocity Nitro 5 remains a daily running shoe with a classic design, positioned below PUMA's higher-stacked models. Therefore, its shock absorption is good but far from exceptional, measuring 129 SA in the heel and 101 SA in the forefoot.

Energy return remains impressive at 69.3% in the forefoot and 64.0% in the heel. But context matters, and these figures also represent a downgrade from the incredible results of the Velocity Nitro 4, which reached an outstanding 74.2% forefoot energy return.

Therefore, while the Velocity Nitro 5 still ranks highly among daily trainers, it left us with a bittersweet feeling because it is less explosive than the previous model.

The PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 is a shoe that works best for runners who dislike high-stacked running shoes or simply prefer a ride that feels closer to the ground.

It's only 31.3 mm tall, which may seem a bit low, but given that it uses A-TPU foam with good shock absorption, we believe it could actually be a capable long-run shoe for lighter runners.

At 26.1 mm, the forefoot comes closer to the current lab average than the heel, so the shoe delivers a ride that's more in line with what you can expect from most other daily trainers.

We found a slightly lower-than-expected drop, as PUMA declares 8 mm, while our measurement came in at just 5.2 mm. Therefore, the shoe may appeal more to forefoot and midfoot strikers, something you probably already guessed after reading the previous two lab tests on stack height.

PUMA surprised us by moving the Velocity Nitro from a single-density foam to a more complex two-layer design, which also helps explain why energy return has gone down. It's no longer built around a single slab of A-TPU foam.

It now features a main layer measuring 40.5 AC, which is the same foam used in last year's model, while PUMA added a softer layer that we measured at 34.9 AC. This makes the ride a touch softer but, unfortunately, comes at the expense of the incredible bounce we found in version 4.

We also checked how the foam behaves in cold weather. With a minimal 10% change after 20 minutes in the freezer, it performs well in this regard, as we expected from Nitro.

The Velocity Nitro 5 once again skips a pronounced rocker in favor of a more traditional forefoot geometry.

The ride feels very natural, with only the heel featuring a bit more curvature than some runners may expect. However, given the lower drop we measured earlier, we found this heel geometry to be a helpful addition rather than a drawback.

True to its roots, the Velocity Nitro 5 is not a particularly friendly shoe for runners with wide feet. And here's the proof.

Our first measurement already came in well below average, with a width of just 92.6 mm.

The toebox is, as expected, designed to provide a snug feel and a highly-secure fit, but it doesn't allow for much toe splay. We measured a width of just 72.1 mm at this point.

To finish things up with the fit, we also measured the toebox height of the Velocity Nitro 5.

It comes in very close to the lab average at 26.3 mm, and in our experience, we never found it uncomfortable at all.

The PUMAGRIP rubber of the Velocity Nitro 5 delivered a very strong performance, with a coefficient of friction of 0.78 on wet concrete. That's 0.13 points higher than last year and better than almost any rival in its category.

The outsole design feels quite similar to version 4, but there are some subtle changes.

Now there's more rubber covering the midsole, which surely boosts grip as we found before, while the added longitudinal channels in the forefoot create more room for water to escape and allow the shoe to flex.

One of the key features of the Velocity Nitro 5 remains intact: it's still a highly-flexible shoe.

We proved that in the lab, as we only needed to exert 9.3N in our 30-degree bend test. No wonder it feels so natural underfoot...

With weight, we found exactly the same pattern as with energy return: it's still a very good result, but it doesn't feel as good because it's a downgrade from version 4.

We registered 8.4 oz (238g), a 6% increase, but it's still a lightweight running shoe nonetheless. Moreover, the extra weight comes with a few perks in terms of stability, comfort, and traction, so for many runners, it could be a positive trade-off.

The shoe is a bit more stable than its predecessor, and given that it runs somewhat close to the ground, it may feel especially stable for runners who don't do well in tall running shoes. Even so, we think this shoe is best suited to neutral runners, while those with overpronation may want to look for purpose-built stability shoes.

The Velocity Nitro 5 flexes easily in all directions, making it a dream daily trainer for runners who hate stiff shoes. In our torsional rigidity test, it scored a very low 7.4 Nm.

The heel counter also disappears and never bothers the Achilles tendon area, although its 2/5 score also means it provides little support. As we pointed out earlier, this is a shoe that works best for neutral runners.

Another reason for our recommendation is the midsole width. PUMA has broadened the forefoot by a few millimeters, but it still lands well below average at 111.0 mm.

For us, it's a relief. The PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 needs to keep the fun and agile DNA that defines the series, and making the forefoot too wide would kill that.

The heel also broadens slightly, reaching 91.3 mm compared to 89.5 mm in the previous version.

It's a minimal change that results in a mostly unchanged ride, so if you're upgrading from version 4, it will be hard to notice any meaningful difference in this regard.

The upper is completely new and feels a bit better in hand, with good comfort considering that this shoe isn't priced in the premium segment but well below it.

In terms of durability, it scored 3 out of 5 in our first toebox test, which is a positive result.

The heel fabric covering the padding in this area did an awesome job of protecting it from damage, earning our gold medal with a 5/5 score.

We finished our batch of durability tests with the outsole, arguably the most important one for many runners. Here, PUMAGRIP delivered the expected strong performance and lost only 0.9 mm of material, another very positive result that adds value to the whole package.

With 3.6 mm of outsole thickness and generous rubber coverage, durability looks very good for the VN5. Perhaps slightly less thickness here would have been ideal to bring the weight back down to the level of version 4.

We found the insole to have the expected thickness, measuring 4.4 mm.

The insole adds a bit of stability thanks to its contoured design, so keep in mind that replacing it with a fully flat option will slightly change the level of support.

PUMA added a reflective piece to the heel, making it a win-win situation. It gives the shoe a more appealing look while also improving visibility and safety during night runs.

The fit of the Velocity Nitro 5 feels very familiar and like a safe upgrade for anyone who enjoyed previous versions, as the lacing system remains mostly unchanged and there are no major differences here.

Conversely, there are some big changes when it comes to comfort. Here's another area where PUMA decided to trade some weight for comfort, increasing the tongue thickness to 9.3 mm from 4.1 mm in the previous edition.

The tongue has a semi-gusseted design that we found perfect for the shoe. However, it certainly doesn't feel like the cleanest or most premium execution.

Still, it gets the job done, adds very little weight, and doesn't block airflow.

PUMA included a small yet practical pull tab stitched directly into the heel collar.

Despite losing a bit of energy return, the PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 still packs impressive value. Priced lower than the Pegasus 42, it's much faster and more exciting than the Nike, which used to be the standard daily trainer but now lags well behind newer contenders.