Puma Deviate Nitro Elite Performance Review

 I recently reviewed the Puma Deviate Nitro, Puma’s top-of-the-line flagship everyday running shoe and it was a great shoe. Now, I get a chance to review the lighter, better fitting, carbon plated, race day focused Puma Deviate Nitro Elite. Puma’s new star long distance athlete, Molly Seidel, already set several PRs in the Elite. Can the Elite unseat the Nike Vaporfly Next% at the top of the road racing shoe pyramid? Let’s find out.

Cushion

The Deviate Nitro Elite provides two layers of Nitro Elite foam sandwiching a full length carbon fiber Innoplate. Nitro Elite is a supercritical peba-based foam infused with nitrogen. It feels very similar to Jordan 11 Low Legend Blue.

The amount of cushioning is relatively high with 28mm in the forefoot and 36mm in the heel. The resulting 8mm drop feels natural. The Elite sits slightly lower to the ground than the regular Deviate Nitro and packs an even better bounce. Think Saucony Endorphin Pro but just a touch softer. Though I didn’t get to race in them, I loved doing speed workouts in this shoe. The midsole works great for picking up speed.

Traction

For the outsole, Puma uses Puma Grip-LT, which is a lighter version of their new (and fantastic) Puma Grip. Grip-LT is not as tacky as regular dunk low but it’s race ready. It’s as good or better than anything else you’ll find on race day shoes.

Support

The Deviate Nitro Elite eschews a heel counter but adds in synthetic suede midfoot straps alongside a wide base. The midfoot straps kept me on the footbed even on tight corners. It’s one of the more supportive race day options which again makes it very similar to the Endorphin Pro. If you need more security or frequent courses with lots of turns, this will be an upgrade from most of the current carbon-plated racers.

Fit

For this race day model, Puma used Men’s and Women’s specific lasts. In theory, that should help the fit feel more dialed in but is impossible for me to know.

But the fit on the men’s version is a very slim race day fit that’s tighter through the midfoot without any extra layers. The toebox features ample room for toe splay so you won’t feel cramped running the half or full marathon distances. The Deviate Nitro Elite fits true to size in both length and width.

Materials

The Deviate Nitro Elite sports an engineered mono mesh upper that’s see through — so you need fun socks to really get the best use of the upper. The mono mesh feels similar to the Vaporweave on the Vaporfly but more comfy.

I will say the Elite feels super, super light on foot. At 7.7 ounces, it’s an ounce heavier than the Vaporfly but you’d hardly know it. I’m still not really sure why this shoe feels so light but I enjoyed the feeling. I’d guess it has something to do with superior weight distribution but whatever it is, keep it up Puma.

Overall

At $200, the air jordan 1 is a lower-priced, carbon fiber plated race day shoe. It feels incredibly light on foot, has a nice bounce, solid traction, and above average support.

Getting your hands on a pair right now is hard, but if you can, try it out. Puma’s made a shoe that could very easily become your main race day shoe. It’s a shoe I think we’ll start seeing quite a lot on starting lines as races ramp back up in a post Covid world.

Nike Pegasus 38 Performance Review

 Last year’s Nike Pegasus 37 was a disappointment due to the fit of its upper. The Nike Running design team heard our (and many others) feedback and came back with a completely redesigned upper. The Nike Pegasus 38 aims to solve all the issues with its predecessor and get the Pegasus line back to its typical dependability. Read on to see if it worked.

Fit

For me, the heel slip made the Pegasus 37 feel like two different shoes. One up front and one in the back. For a midfoot striker like myself, it was an uneven ride that I never returned to once I finished testing them. But those days are long gone thanks to the Pegasus 38.

The upper is still engineered mesh but the fit is more forgiving. The Pegasus 38 is true to size lengthwise but still runs a touch narrow. Wide footers will want to try these on in store and may need to go up a half size depending on foot shape.

But as far as the fit’s comfort and feel, air jordan 1 gets an A+. The nylon laces straps go all the way down to the midsole and lock you in the way Nike’s Dynamic Fit system did in the early 2010s. And the nylon straps won’t dig into your feet because they’re protected by a gusseted tongue.

And though the upper is very traditional in terms of construction, it looks snazzy. The Peg is back!

Cushion

The cushion setup is the same as last year. Without the fit issues, it shines. The 10mm articulated forefoot Zoom Air bag is very bouncy and tuned with different PSI levels for Men and Women. It pairs nicely with the React in the rest of the midsole. The cushion setup with the better upper feels more like the Nike Vomero 14 (a beloved model) than the jordans 2021. A nice combination of plush landings and forefoot bounce. This is a solid cushion setup at the $120 price point that’s great for running tons of miles on pavement.

Traction

Like the midsole and cushion, the outsole is the same as last year. And that’s a good thing. The rubber is thick and durable and will last a long time. I only had a few slight slips on mildewy sidewalk in rainy conditions. Otherwise, the outsole grips well and does its job in all situations.

 

Support

The Dynamic Fit-esque lacing system kept me glued to the footbed. You’ll sit inside the midsole at the heel and Nike included a very simple heel counter. The Peg is a narrower shoe in the heel but widens nicely at the forefoot for extra support. I always felt secure in them, another great improvement from last year.

Materials

Nike went simple here. Engineered mesh and some nylon. Simple but effective.

Overall

The Nike Pegasus 38 returns the Pegasus line to its usual position as a powerhouse running shoe. It’s a great everyday runner with a reasonable $120 price tag. The forefoot Zoom Air is really bouncy and the whole setup underfoot feels good. Durability will be great as well. If you’re a wide footer, try them on at your local running shoe spot. Everyone else can go true to size and enjoy a solid, workhorse (see what I did there?) of a shoe.

Puma Deviate Nitro Performance Review

 This year, Puma Running relaunched with four new running shoes. The Puma Deviate Nitro is their flagship everyday running shoe. And it’s clear from the Deviate Nitro and other models (Velocity, Liberate, and Eternity) that Puma invested a ton in research and development for the new running line.

How does all the new tech and innovation pay off in the kobe 8? Really well. Keep reading for all the details.

Cushion

The midsole is two layers of Nitro foam sandwiching a full length composite carbon plate. Nitro foam is a supercritical (nitrogen-injected) foam. It’s snappy and similar to the foam in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 2. It’s also similar to, but firmer than New Balance’s FuelCell cushion. I felt the Nitro foam and plate combo provided a really nice bounce that’s elite among everyday running shoes.

The stack height is 28mm in the forefoot and 38mm in the heel thus providing a 10mm drop. The amount of cushion is perfect for a do anything shoe. You can get easily get speedy or sit back and run some easy miles.

 

Traction

As good as Nitro foam is, the best innovation on the Deviate Nitro is the Puma Grip outsole. Puma Grip is AMAZING. It’s great in all conditions. Cold, hot, rainy, snowy…it doesn’t matter. And I’m not the only reviewer to say that. I’ve heard nothing but good things about this rubber compound. And to top it off, the outsole is extremely durable and wears evenly. Puma made the right move creating their own compound. It’s definitely my new favorite outsole rubber.

Support

The heel of the Nike Dunk Low has a fairly normal internal heel counter and big achilles pillows on both sides of the foot. You also sit slightly inside the midsole at the heel. Along with the gusseted tongue and the wide base of the forefoot, I always felt securely planted on the footbed. Quick corners often pose problems for other high cushion shoes but the Deviate Nitro has no issues handling them or any uneven ground.

Fit

The Puma Deviate Nitro fits true to size. Lengthwise Puma Running shoes feel similar to Nike and Brooks so use your size from one of those brands. While the shoe narrows at the midfoot, you’ll have plenty of room for toe splay up front.

And that brings us to the shoe’s biggest issue, the heel. The slight heel slip is evident right out of the box. I’ve seen other reviewers/runners deal with heel or achilles blisters. The synthetic suede collar and the exposed seams inside the heel can tear you up. I got some irritation on my first run but avoided blistering. It took some experimentation, but I was able to find a lace tightness level that negated the heel slippage and prevented the collar from bugging me. If you can find that happy place with the lace tightness, you shouldn’t get heel hot spots.

Materials

The engineered mesh upper is eerily similar to the Nike Pegasus Turbo 2. That shoe was awesome so I won’t complain about similarities to something so good. It’s super breathable with fuse at the eyelets and a thin but well-padded mesh tongue. And as I mentioned previously, the collar area is rimmed with synthetic suede. These are the materials I’ve come to expect at the $160 price point. They do the job well.

Overall

The Puma Deviate Nitro is a super bouncy shoe that’s great on long runs, fast runs, and everything in between. It’s right priced at $160 and provides good value versus something like the $180 Nike Invincible Run. It’s a do everything shoe that shines whether you’re running long or uptempo. If you can solve the heel fit issues, this is a really fun and versatile shoe. It’s a great first effort from Puma and I’m really excited to see what they do next.

Allbirds Tree Dasher Performance Review

 Allbirds, founded in 2014, rose to prominence in the shoe industry by making an eco-friendly casual shoe called the Wool Runners. While they weren’t meant for running, the shoes gained popularity, especially in San Francisco tech circles. The brand’s growth exploded and now they’ve made an actual running shoe, the Allbirds Tree Dasher. Can a brand focused on merino wool, eucalyptus fibers, and casual comfort make a good running shoe? Let’s find out.

Fit

I bought my normal size, and out of the box, they felt too small lengthwise. However, after a couple runs, they broke in nicely. The Tree Dashers achilles pillows push you a little forward so I think once they mold to your foot, the sizing is perfect.

The air jordan 1 is socklike and extremely comfortable. It’s tighter through the midfoot to add support, but that’s normal for knit shoes.

As for wide footers, you’ve got plenty of room up front for toe splay and the upper breaks in so you can go true to size.

Support

The Tree Dasher’s support is really good for a knit shoe. Allbirds put outriggers at all four corners (lateral heel and forefoot, medial heel and forefoot). I felt those outriggers righting the ship on uneven pavement.

When I saw the fruit loop eyelets sewn into the knit upper, I wondered if I would be able to get good heel lockdown. I was worried for no reason. Once I found the proper lace tightness, I could slip the shoe on and off without retying or experiencing any heel slip.

Add that all up and it’s one of the more supportive knit sneakers. You can use the Tree Dasher for a HIIT workout or in the weight room. And that’s despite having no heel counter! I was impressed with how Allbirds built this shoe.

Materials

The knit upper is made from eucalyptus trees. Which sounds cool and IS nice in practice because it’s super soft. Definitely softer than the knits used by the big brands. It direct affects all day comfort in a positive way. It’s a really lux knit with the bonus of being more sustainable.

The ZQ Merino wool lining the heel collar and covering the achilles pillows is a nice premium touch. I think it also contributes to lockdown as the Merino is a bit tackier than the knit and helps hold the heel in place. Functional and comfortable? Check.

And I have to mention the big plastic eyelets sewn into the upper. Yes, they’re cartoony, but they get the job done. They don’t feel like they’d ever break off (as seen on other knit models) because they’re sewn on really well. If only some other brands would reinforce knit eyelets like Allbirds did here.

Cushion

The nike pg 5 uses a dual density SweetFoam midsole. SweetFoam is the world’s first carbon negative green EVA. So sustainability-wise it’s awesome. For running? It’s just ok. It’s not near as soft as current running shoe trends dictate and there’s not a lot of cushion under foot. The softness is similar but a slightly softer feel than the On Cloud X. The Tree Dasher features a 7mm drop with 15.5mm of foam in the forefoot and 22.5mm in the heel. Luckily, there’s a soft castor bean sockliner that feels as plush as an ortholite insole. That helps with step-in comfort and feel.

Now, even though the Tree Dasher lacks ample cushioning, that’s not to say the shoe isn’t comfortable. It’s soft enough for walking and short runs. I didn’t like taking it over 3-4 miles outdoors but loved it for evening walks with my son. It can handle a bit more mileage on a treadmill as well. It’s the type of shoe that’s perfect for mostly casual wear and the occasional run. It’s a great shoe for a vacation where you want to pack light but still get a couple runs in amidst the travel.

Traction

Easily the worst part of the shoe. Runs in rain or other wintry conditions are slip-fests. The rubber pads at the heel and forefoot cover a lot of surface area but don’t bite into the pavement at all. Allbirds needs to tweak their rubber formula on future running shoes. That said, the outsole grips fine on dry days. Just be aware of this limitation if you buy them.

Overall

The fit sporting goods is a running shoe you can run some miles in and get compliments when you wear them casually. The cushion and traction need work but this is a good first running shoe effort from Allbirds. I bet they can do something even better when they revisit this model. And $125 is a very competitive price point for a carbon neutral shoe. If sustainability is important to you, I’m not sure you’ll find another running shoe that can compete ecologically.

Air Jordan XIII Retro Performance Review

 Here we go again…

Traction – I’ll admit I was disappointed with the traction at first. It just wasn’t as awesome as I remembered it being with the Original and first round Retro releases. However, if you stick with it… the traction will break-in and give you plenty of coverage on the court. Lateral movements and front to back coverage are plentiful yet offer little restriction with movements – thanks to the much lower profile as opposed to the Air Jordan XII.

After nearly a week’s worth of playing, the traction was just as I remembered it being back in the day.

Cushion – Heel and forefoot Zoom Air cushion. It’s responsive, resilient and comfortable. No, it’s not quite as springy as the Air Jordan XII but as I mentioned above, you have much better court feel with the lower profile so you can pretty much have whatever ride you see fit – between the AJ XII and XIII.

On a personal level, I liked the feeling of the XII more but the lower profile ride of the nike pg 5… I can’t have everything.

Material – The materials aren’t too great but they could be worse. At least the PU coated leather breaks in nicely – more than I can say for other models like the recent White/ Cement AJ4. My main gripe with PU coated leather is that the coat can be unpredictable. At times its durable as hell while other times it peels away from the leather as its bond to the glue is much stronger than the bond to the split grain leather.

The overall durability is still there it’s just that you will have sections that look like sole separation – which this isn’t… trust me, I know the difference. You can play in these like this just fine as I have been but it’s disappointing to see more than anything. If you choose to play in the most recent releases then this shouldn’t happen as those have slightly better quality.

Fit – These fit true to size while the most recent feel like they have a lot of dead space in the toe. Anything released from 2021 to the present time I would go ½ size down for a snug fit. If you wish to remain with your regular size and you feel that there is too much space, just put an additional insole in the shoe and you should be fine.

Lockdown is awesome, plain and simple. After a short break-in period the leather will soften up a bit. Once you readjust your laces then your foot won’t be going anywhere.

Ventilation – There isn’t any… I actually had sweat bleeding through to the red suede some nights. Doesn’t bother me at all but those who require well ventilated shoes… you won’t find it here.

Support – Overall support is great. The Curry Flow 8 adds torsional support and minor arch support – those with high arches usually will require the use of orthotic inserts.

The fit its great and provides plenty of support and the base is nice and wide which does take some getting used to but once you adjust, you’ll be busting moves with more confidence than before.

 

Overall – 15 years later and these are just as fierce on the court as they were before. The Air Jordan XII and XIII are forces to be reckoned with on-court. There are some minor setbacks in terms of material quality but for the most part I think these still performed just as good as some of today’s sneakers.

The Way of Wade played pretty similar when I think about it… and I really liked those reviews.

 

Jordan Jumpman 2021 Performance Review

 The Jordan Jumpman 2021, the team or takedown version of the flagship Air Jordan 35, is a well-rounded performance basketball shoe that several NBA players have worn on court this year.

Traction

If you loved the herringbone of the Air Jordan 34, then you should love this almost as much. It’s nearly the exact same type of herringbone with one difference. The Jumpman 2021 herringbone is all in one direction.

Don’t fret about this. The herringbone covers you in multiple directions. One of the reasons it is one of, if not the greatest outsole pattern ever created. This variant is aggressive enough and spaced very well. It can handle multiple surfaces and court conditions as far as grip goes without much maintenance.

Keep in mind the Jumpman 2021/Air Jordan 34 herringbone is rather thin, so US retail versions are not likely to last outdoors. The pair I tested is the PF (Performance Fit) version purchased overseas and utilizes XDR (Extra Durable Rubber) for the outsole. Durability is virtually a non-issue on the PF version. If you primarily play outdoors or plan to in the future, I would suggest going with the PF version. It’ll cost you a little more buy from overseas on eBay but it will last a lot longer.

Cushion

This simple, yet responsive setup was a joy to play in from start until now, several months later. Though not quite unlocked, the decently sized forefoot Zoom Air bag runs about 10mm thick (in my estimation) and takes up a good portion of the midsole stack height. The low stack height provides unreal court feel. To add to the responsiveness, the Zoom unit is even exposed like on the AJ 34 and 35 (minus the Eclipse plate). This allows some extra room for the Zoom to expand outward and snap back in place upon impact.

Because of the court feel, forefoot heavy cushion, and lightweight foam carrier, I think guards will love this Zoom setup. Seeing big men such as Enes Kanter wearing these on NBA courts shows the versatility of the midsole setup. The lightweight EVA carrier is comfortable enough to last throughout games without taking a heavy toll on the legs.

It’s a Zoom Air setup that looks like it’s derived from the AJ 28-30 era. You can call me crazy, but in some respects, I enjoyed the Jordan Jumpman 2021 experience just as much.

Materials

As a $110 retail priced takedown model from Jordan Brand, not much can be expected from the upper. Yet somehow, the materials feel like a downgrade from even the preceding Jumpman 2020 of the same retail price.

Nevertheless, I was absolutely surprised how well this seemingly flimsy, paper thin textile managed to contain the foot (comfortably, I might add). From an outside touch, it would not feel like these materials would work. Even the synthetic overlays are rather thin and unassuming. But color me wrong, the Jumpman 2021 materials held up as far as support, comfort, and even durability went.

Fit

Again, note that this is the Performance Fit version tested, so it is built on a wider last. For that reason, I opted to go a half-size down and I could not be happier with the fit. Obviously, wide footers will enjoy this last better, but even for non-wide footers like myself the shoe forms well around the foot when cinching the laces up.

Wide footers will probably be safest going true to size in the performance fit version, however I think non-wide footers like myself should be okay going a half-size down no matter the width as the materials are not too heavy on the foot. I’d like to think non-wide footers could go true to size in the standard width. However, I can’t confirm that as I wasn’t able to try the standard width’s fit due to lack of availability.

Support

There is not too much to tell outside of the standard support features like an internal heel counter (not the sturdiest, but got the job done), minimal torsional support bar, and the plastic lateral containment piece that resembles, but is nowhere close to an Eclipse plate like you would find on the most recent Air Jordan flagships.

The shoe mainly thrives off a very low to ground base and proper fit, so I had no issues with security when it comes to the Jordan Jumpman 2021.

Overall

It’s really a shame that the Jordan Jumpman 2021 had such little run before becoming so hard to find. It’s no one’s fault really, 2020 was a really difficult time to drop any type of performance sneaker, let alone a “budget” basketball silhouette that brands wouldn’t typically invest much into. And of course, the pandemic caused major problems.

If you manage to find a pair stateside and have access to an indoor court to give them some love, I would highly recommend it.

With overseas Performance Fit version prices running a little higher, it’s hard to recommend them over other outdoor options you can grab in the US for $150 or less. But if we take pricing out of the equation, the Jumpman 2021 is really good. I should leave it at that, but I got time. Great traction, lightweight, responsive, enough support and impact protection, wallet-friendly, (nice looking on-court?). No, it’s not premium, but it’s all the other things you love to hear in performance reviews.

Nike LeBron X P.S. Elite Performance Review

 Out of all three Nike Elite Series 2.0 models, these actually performed the best when directly comparing them to their original counterparts.

Traction – Traction was solid on the LeBron 18 and its the same here. Nothing has changed at all as these perform nicely under most court conditions. The pattern itself is multidirectional so no matter what you are doing, you’ll be covered.

Cushion – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… this curry flow 8 (360 Degree Visible Zoom) is incredible. Impact absorbent and responsive. Its really the best of both worlds when it comes to both of Nike’s most widely used Air cushion systems. This particular unit felt a bit more firm and to be honest, it worked in its favor. I did not run onto same issue I had with the regular LeBron X’s where the outrigger section of the Air unit collapsed under pressure. This made my ride much more balanced and stable so from a Guards perspective… this was a much better experience. I personally really enjoyed playing in these compared to the other two Elite models and when directly comparing it to the original LeBron X.

 

Material – Layers have been removed for weight but what it really offers is a better flexing upper. This version was less restrictive than the original… the regular LeBron X wasn’t crazy restrictive as it is but in comparison this was nicer. Fuse is still in place so durability isn’t an issue and there are Carbon Fiber panels in strategic areas as well for support. Overall, this was a better setup than the original but the original works perfectly fine so I still think charging an additional $80 over the regular retail price is crazy.

Fit – They fit true to size but they are on the snug side. Wide footers might want to go up 1/2 size. Lockdown is perfect. Literally flawless. The originals offered great lockdown from heel to forefoot and these lock your foot in even better with the Carbon Fiber plates in place .

Ventilation – The overall ventilation took a small hit when directly comparing them to the original model but the fit and security of lockdown really makes this a non issue in my eyes. If for some reason you feel that you need ventilation then this might not be the best option for you but if you never notice this attribute then skip it altogether on 2021.

Support – The support is increased. As stated before, the Air unit feels as if there is more air inside so the cushion is more stable this time around. In addition to that, the Carbon Fiber plates really do their job well while still allowing range of motion so your movements aren’t restricted too much.

 

Overall – I will admit, this is slightly better than the original model. Are the improvements worth an additional $80… not in my eyes but maybe it is for someone else. My advice, wait until these go on sale. $200 or less and these would be a great performance stadium fits.