A few months ago I got the Puma Electrify Nitro 4 running shoe directly from Puma. Not for the purpose of testing or review. Just a few days ago I decided to write this review about the shoe. However, Puma has no control over this review and I will try to give my honest opinion about it.
Before I will write about the shoe a few facts about me, that are important for the review. I’m mostly a half marathon and marathon runner. My latest marathon time is 3.28 and my latest half marathon time 1.35. I’m a heel to mid foot striker, 186 cm high and 72 kilograms.
What is Puma saying about this shoe
Electrify NITRO™ 4 seamlessly blends NITROFOAM™ and PROFOAMLITE for a responsive ride with cushioning. With a breathable mesh upper and PUMAGRIP rubber for unbeatable traction, these shoes are designed to propel you forward, mile after mile.
Let’s find out more about the Puma Electrify 4
Till today I ran about 120 kilometers in the shoe. Before I write a shoe review, I normally do quite some runs in the shoes, from easy recovery runs up to tempo runs, intervals and a long run. This shoe is considered as a do it all shoe, an everyday training shoe. Since I’m training for a marathon right now I mostly used the shoe on my easy runs. I also took the shoe out on a shorter interval session and a shorter tempo run.
To recap my runs in the shoe: 1 recovery run, 1 interval session with 10x 200m repeats, a few easy runs and 1 run with marathon effort.
Fit of the shoe
The shoe for me fits true to size. The upper hugs the foot nicely and there is no problem with the lockdown. I have normal wide feet. The shoe is a bit on the narrower site. I personally had no issues with that but it’s something you should consider, if you have wider feet.
The toe box is also on the narrower site with not much volume. It is still comfortable but again something to consider, if you have wider feet. The heal cup has quite a lot of structure to it and holds the foot. I could not feel any heel slippage and had no blisters or hot spots during my runs.
The tongue is gusseted and very plush. There is no sliding of the tongue. All in all I would say that the fit is comfortable if you have normal wide or narrow feet. The upper is quite thick and not the most breathable. It’s perfectly fine in normal conditions but if you live in a warmer climate this shoe might not be the best.
Performance of the shoe
The Puma Electrify Nitro 4 has a dual layer midsole made of NITROFOAM and PROFOAMLITE. Most of the Nitro foam is in the heel of the shoe, the rest is Profoamlite. During my first run I found the ride to be more on the firm side, not soft at all. But after two or three runs the foam opened up a bit.
The rocker in the shoe is quite standard for an everyday running shoe. It’s not aggressive. I’m a heel to midfoot striker. At my easier paces mostly a heel striker and therefore I find the foam setup with Nitro in the heel area very good.
The shoe felt best at my easy run pace. I think that the midsole foam setup in combination with the rocker work best at these paces. The ride felt comfortable and the midsole gave back just enough. For recovery runs I prefer running shoes with a bit more cushioning in the front. As for faster running, I don’t think the Puma Electrify Nitro 4 is a shoe made for fast running.
As for durability: well, let me tell you, that after 100 kilometers there is no visible wear, not even on the outsole of the shoe. If you ask me, the Puma Electrify Nitro 4 is a shoe that you will be able to use for many miles.
There is enough rubber on the outsole to protect the midsole foam and to provide grip. The grip is best described as sticky, even on wet roads. No slippage at all, not even in some tighter corners. I even took the shoe on an easy run on some light trails and had no issues with grip.
How will I use the shoe
I think that somehow I already answered this question. I will continue to use the shoe during my easy runs. For all other runs that I do during marathon training, there are other shoes out there, even in the Puma lineup, that are better suited for faster and longer runs.
Would I recommend the Puma Electrify Nitro 4
The shoe is not the most cushioned one or the softest. But I think that if you are new to running and you are looking for a durable, entry level running shoe, you can’t go wrong with this one. It’s even a great option for those doing a walk / jog or walk / run routine.
I would say, that the Puma Electrify Nitro 4 is one of the best entry level running shoes. We need to keep in mind, that this shoe is not a performance or race day shoe. But despite that fact, Puma still provided a high end foam in the midsole.
I grab the Puma Electrify Nitro 4 also for my recovery walks and to be honest, it’s my number one pick for these walks.
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