Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Introduction

Over the last couple years, Puma has re-entered the distance running world. Their impressive roster of elite athletes and a complete overhaul of their distance running lineup shows they are here to stay. Now in the second edition, we have the Velocity Nitro 2.

Updates are some tweaks in the upper and midsole. I did not run in the first edition, but looking back there are not many visibility noticeable changes. Probably the biggest change, is a step up in heel-toe drop from 8mm to 10mm.

Out of Puma’s lineup, this is probably the most middle of the road shoe that seeks to provide an all around package. I would best compare this to the Nike Pegasus but also other neutral trainers such as the Asics Cumulus, or Hoka Cliftons.

Puma Velocity Nitro 2 First Impressions

I immediately was into these out of the box. They felt light in my hands and the midsole was soft to the touch. I liked the black and white colorway, but enjoyed that there were other louder colors available.

Putting these on for the first time was pleasant. They felt incredibly comfortable on my feet and I had plenty of room to move around in. My first run was an easy 6 miles and it breezed by.

Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Upper

The upper material is an engineered mesh with reflective accents. I really appreciated the more-than-usual amount of reflection on these as I commonly run at night.

The material is really comfortable but I wish it breathed better. The shoes felt hot when the temps started climbing and my sweat would weigh them down at times. The mesh also took longer than usual to dry out. A lot of my running shoes usually dry the next day if they get wet. These took almost twice as long.

The heel is pretty soft but it wrapped around my foot just fine. I didn’t feel like it ever was slipping out and it gave a great locked in fit.

As for the lacing, the tongue is gusseted from the middle of the foot down to your toes. No issues with it rolling inward or any hot spots. My only complaint about the laces is that they were too long even with a runner’s loop in play. I constantly was making sure they were tied securely and had to stop numerous times to re-tie them.

Fit wise, these were true to size. I had plenty of room to move around in the toe box and I had no issues with the width of the shoe. I do not see a need to size up or out.

Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Sole Unit

The outsole’s pattern is aptly called Pumagrip. It provides some of the highest traction and control I have seen in a road shoe. My longest run in these was on a rail trail in the rain and I never had issues slipping around or taking off. The traction is as good as any road-to-trail shoe I have ran in.

The midsole has two layers of responsive light foam called Nitro Foam. The bottom layer is quite firm, where the upper layer is plush and squishy. For some added structure, there is a TPU plate in the heel.

The combination of firmness in the layers of foam gave a ride that was both plush and responsive. The firmness helped absorb shock on impact and the squishier foam helped me lift off with ease. The plate in the heel helped prevent me from rolling my ankle and allowed me to stay in control throughout.

The 10mm offset had me landing and lifting off mostly on my mid-foot.

Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Conclusions

I haven’t had the pleasure to review a pair of Pumas since their resurgence in the distance running world. I really like what they are doing with this new generation of shoes. With all the attention they have put into running over the last few years, I knew I was in for something special.

I got these shoes at the tail end of dealing with an injured hip. I was a little nervous testing them at first, but they delivered.

The shoe was easy when I wanted it to be and I didn’t feel like I was over-exerting. Once my body got back to normal I was able to push the pace and run long with ease. The combination of firmness and plush helped make this a pleasant experience.

These shoes could easily be upmarked to $150-$160, but I am happy to see that Puma makes these incredibly affordable. Between the lower pricepoint and tech, you can really tell this is Puma’s answer to the Nike Pegasus.

I live in Maryland so high humidity and dewpoints are very real half the year, so I hope Puma can improve the issues I had with the upper in future iterations. Otherwise, this is a perfect shoe.