Puma Velocity Nitro 4: Narrow Is the Road to Perfection

Introduction to the Puma Velocity Nitro 4

ROBBE: The cat is out of the hat. It’s been nearly a half decade since Puma made its comeback into running, releasing the trio of shoes in the Nitro lineup: Velocity, Liberate, and Deviate. Of those three, the Velocity was the most versatile, a lightweight daily trainer with a bouncy Nitro midsole and ultra grippy Pumagrip outsole. Soon after, things got wild, as Molly Seidel took bronze at the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Games, cruising into the history books with a pair of Puma Deviate Nitro Elite on her feet. Unfortunately for Puma, their supply chain was missing half its links and they dropped an Atlas-sized ball thanks to a near-zero inventory of the shoe. Everyone wanted it and nobody could get it. It was a blunder we weren’t sure they’d ever recover from, and it wasn’t relegated to that shoe. 

Since then, things have smoothed out a bit. You may even say that Puma is having a moment. Despite some solid offerings, they always seemed a bit behind for a brand whose name carries some historical heft. Great prices, solid shoes, but still had something to prove. Prove it they did, with the resounding success of this year’s Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 and the corresponding Project3, in which they offered handsome payouts for select athletes to break their own personal records in the shoe. Models like the stability-minded Foreverrun Nitro 2 and max cushion Magmax Nitro are outstanding. Instead of lagging behind, Puma has suddenly made a cat-like leap forward.

And now we’re here.

Here doesn’t just mean the Fast-R 3. It also means the fourth version of the Puma Velocity, a shoe that I haven’t reviewed since version 2. I actually received this shoe in the avalanche of FW 2025 models that showed up at my door in late June, but finally got around to running it a month ago.

I shouldn’t have waited. Because this was the shoe of the summer for me.

I’m getting ahead of myself, so let’s give some details on the shoe before I go glowing and gloating about it.

A reengineered mesh upper is designed for a more breathable and adaptive fit than the last version, which is what every brand says about every upper, but in this case it’s true. Puma has also utilized a full-length NitroFoam midsole instead of the dual-density midsole used in version 3. Finishing things off is the always reliable Pumagrip outsole rubber, truly the best road shoe rubber in the game.

Anyway, I want to tell you a little more about my personal shoe savior, so let’s dive into the heart of the matter.

KARL: When Puma debuted the Velocity Nitro several years ago, it was the entry level shoe for the new Nitro franchise. It was regarded as a relatively lightweight, uptempo daily trainer. The second iteration came not long after with a few changes — a slightly higher stack height, a higher drop (went from 8mm to 10mm), and the fit was a bit more dialed in.

We didn’t hear much about the Velocity line until we received the Velocity Nitro 3 in early 2024. Now, I never ran in the first two versions but heard they were relatively well received. The third version, on the other hand, was… interesting. While it was still being touted as a soft, versatile workhorse, it felt like Puma had relegated the Velocity down into the “standard” daily trainer category. To us it felt overbuilt, firm, heavy, and clunky. We gave our first thoughts on it (where Thomas had some not-so-nice things to say), and I felt reluctant to put it back on (I was told it took about 50 miles for the shoe to break in, which, come on – in this day and age shouldn’t really be a thing anymore for a daily trainer). 

Now here we are about a year and a half later – did Puma do anything the fourth time around to change the reputation of the Velocity Nitro line? Let’s find out.

What we like about the Puma Velocity Nitro 4

ROBBE: Okay, straight away I’d like to apologize for not putting this on our “Best Running Shoes of 2025 (So Far)” list for YouTube. We recorded the video before I had a chance to run in the shoe, and let me tell ya– it deserves to be on there. Why, you ask? Plenty of reasons.

Let’s start with the upper. Materials wise, it’s not super revolutionary or anything. It’s an engineered mesh that is fairly breathable and definitely comfortable. I wore the shoe in some sweltering conditions this July and it felt good overall. What really sets this shoe apart though, is the fit. I’m not sure what kind of last this shoe was built on, but it’s narrow, especially through the midfoot. Now, that’s heaven for me. I have a narrow foot and the Puma Velocity 4 wraps the midfoot with suction-like tenacity, before opening up a bit for the toes. It’s glorious, for us narrow footers, anyway. Let me say that it’s very rare to get a fit this good, and I had zero complaints.

The ride though, is where it all comes together. The full bed of Nitrofoam is seamless in its performance, shifting from daily trainer mode to tempo and back again, for any distance. It’s not bouncy, it’s not soft, it’s just great. Responsive, as some may say. Overall, it’s a very light shoe, especially for a daily trainer so it can kind of do whatever you want. It’s comfortable, but without sacrificing that magic feel that makes running so fun. It’s not overly built up like a super trainer, it doesn’t have a rocker to propel you through the stride, but it doesn’t need any of that– it’s simply too good as it is.

There’s a special thing that all runners look for, and it’s that X factor in a shoe that keeps calling back to you. I can’t describe it, other than when you think about what you want to wear for a run, you just keep coming back to that shoe and that feeling. As a shoe reviewer, I have about 150 shoes in my house at any given time, and you know you have a good one when you pass all the others up to take it out, even after the review miles are done. Every year, there’s one or two shoes that embody that feeling. The Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is one of them. For me, anyway.

Of course, I have to mention the Pumagrip outsole. It was the best when it came out and it’s still the best today. Tacky, durable, flexible. It adds that extra element that separates this shoe from so many other daily trainers out there. The way the outsole rubber grips onto the sidewalk or pavement gives that extra assurance in any condition. Heck, this could even be used as a gravel or light trail shoe, it’s that good.

Puma says this shoe should last 500 miles. I have no reason to doubt that estimate; after 50 miles in my own pair, I see no visible wear.

I honestly didn’t know the price of this shoe when I got it, and I assumed it was in the $160-$180 range. Boy was I way off. It’s truly shocking that this shoe only costs $140. I promise you that you will not find a better deal out there.

KARL: Off the bat, I will say the weight reduction on the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is pretty wild (and well needed). The Velocity Nitro 3 weighed 9.5 oz. (269 g) in a men’s sample size (US 9) whereas the Velocity Nitro 4 weighs a very reasonable 8.8 oz. (241 g) in my US 10.5. That is a significant chunk of weight gone and I have to give kudos to Puma for slimming down the shoe that much. A lot of it probably has to do with the new composition of Nitrofoam, but the overall construction of the shoe seems to be less than that of its predecessor, and that’s a good thing. 

The upper is a fairly breathable mesh with all of Puma’s signature Pwrtape scattered throughout, for a touch of extra support. The tongue is gusseted and has that thinly padded, more race-like feel you would find on most of the other models in the Nitro franchise. The laces, while not my favorite sawtooth laces, are decent – they lay relatively flat and are unobtrusive. I would like a little more length, but it isn’t much of a concern to me. 

The heel collar is well cushioned, but not overly padded. You also have these little plastic heel counters on both sides for what I assume is for a little added stability.

Now I will say – my initial impression of how it would feel differed from reality, but it’s not necessarily a bad thing.

When I saw the weight and felt the new midsole, I was imagining this would land somewhere in line with the Asics Novablast 5, New Balance Rebel v5, or the Adidas Adizero Evo SL. But with the lack of a rocker geometry paired along with a generous layer of rubber on the outsole, the ride doesn’t feel quite as exciting or smooth comparatively. The Velocity Nitro 4 really leans more into the traditional daily trainer style of ride (again, not a bad thing). 

When running, I found it pretty easy to pick up the pace and really get that energy back from the midsole. Although soft, this Nitrofoam still has that bit of firmness I felt in the previous version, albeit much less pronounced this time around. But once I was dialed into the run, being able to lock into a pace and flow through the stride felt rather effortless.

Moving to the outsole — it is a major plus for this shoe, but it also has some cons. Pumagrip is arguably the “best in the biz,” as Robbe would say. It is tacky, sticky, grippy – putting this on and walking around your wood floor is an ASMR artist’s dream. But you can mainly feel confident running in all sorts of weather. I’ve even taken this on a semi-technical and muddy trail run, where it performed surprisingly well – cutting uphill on some dicey, chunky rocks and bombing a muddy downhill slope. This rubber compound certainly holds up to the task. 

With all that said, the ride of the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is what the modern traditional daily trainer should feel like. It amazes me how some companies can’t get the basic, staple workhorse of the lineup down. The super trainer category has exploded in the last few years, and the need to stick “Max” at the end of the model name seems to be the latest trend for product lineups to stay relevant. But a good midsole compound, solid traction, and a lightweight upper is really all that’s needed for your entry level daily trainer, and Puma seems to have gotten the formula right in this one.

Now, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. I will preface my cons section by saying that these are nit-picky and are a bit more personal.

What we don’t like about the Puma Velocity Nitro 4

ROBBE: I’m only going to give one negative for this shoe, and it’s only on account of the design. Puma needs to chill on some of their colorways and gradients and overall designs. They’re getting dangerously close to Skechers territory. Once you cross that border, you get branded with an ‘S’ and are banished from polite society, destined to wander the land of missing letters and machine washable slip-on shoes.

Please, hear this: you have an incredible heritage and amazing logo– lean into it! It’s fine if the race day shoes are wacky and wild, I get it. But take a page out of your archrival across the street in Germany and make something clean and classic like the Adidas Adizero Evo SL Or your competition across town in Boston with the New Balance Rebel v5. If it looks as good as those and feels anything like the Velocity Nitro 4, it’ll move more units than you ever dreamed of. As it stands though, I won’t wear Puma running shoes anywhere but on the run.

Lastly, this is not a negative for me because, as a narrow footer, I love the fit of this shoe. However, if you have a wider foot by any definition, then you will probably have issues with this shoe. The midfoot is very narrow (again, I love it), so proceed with caution all my flippered friends.

KARL: While I gave high marks for the ride, I feel like there might be a bit too much rubber on the outsole (this was an issue I had with the VN3). The whole shoe itself as a package is light, but to me that translates to feeling most of the weight at the bottom. I can feel the density of the rubber on the outsole pulling me down with each stride. 

As a result, it kind of gives off the sensation that the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is heavier than it really is. And it feels like the outsole weight kind of negates the savings you get in the upper and the midsole, so as much as I love Pumagrip, I wouldn’t mind if they shaved off a touch of rubber probably in the forefoot area to make it feel like it’s a bit lighter. 

I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest fan of the way Puma shoes fit my feet. The length is true-to-size, and the toe box and heel are pretty broad with room for toes to splay, but the midfoot region is pretty damn narrow. I get that they probably do this to ensure a dialed-in, locked and secure fit, but for me, the sides of the midfoot feel like they’re getting pinched (I believe our lead trail reviewer Taylor calls them the “toe knuckles”).

This means putting the shoe on is kind of a pain in the ass, so while I can appreciate a snug fit, the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 may be a bit too snug for my liking. I really liked the fit of the Puma Foreverrun Nitro 2, and while it makes sense for a stability shoe to have a wider platform, I would appreciate just a smidge more room so my toe knuckles don’t feel like they’re getting squashed. 

It isn’t inherently noticeable in the first few miles of the run, but creeping into the double digits is where I felt a bit of a tingling sensation in the midfoot (and again, I don’t think it’s something that can be corrected by sizing up). Of course, this is a very individual problem. If you have a narrow or low volume foot, I don’t think you’ll have this problem.

Final thoughts on the Puma Velocity Nitro 4

ROBBE (14 out of 15): To everyone who was upset that this shoe wasn’t on our “Best of 2025” list that we put out last month, please know you’ve been heard. For me, this is a 14 out of 15 on the robot pigeon scale. I don’t know that there’s anything I’d change about it, other than a possible aesthetic update. The upper is better than the Adidas Evo SL, the ride is more stable and bouncier than the Asics Novablast 5, it’ll last longer than the New Balance Rebel v5, and it doesn’t look like a Skechers Aero Tempo. It’s a highly versatile daily trainer that keeps you coming back for more, mile after mile. That’s really all any of us want from a great running shoe, and at $140 nothing comes close to the Puma Velocity Nitro 4.

KARL (12 out of 15): On the whole, I think Puma made some great updates to refine the Velocity Nitro line. I’m giving it the highest score on function because it is a big leap forward from its predecessor and these thoughtful changes are what companies need to be looking at when designing the next iteration of a product line. The lighter weight, new Nitrofoam midsole, and the $140 price tag – the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 for me is the new prime archetype for the future of daily trainers. No, it’s not as exciting of a ride as the Asics Novablast 5 or Adidas Evo SL, but there’s no reason why this classification of shoe has to feel muted, heavy, and overbuilt. Puma proves that you can have a great lightweight daily trainer that is very versatile without much compromise. 

I think if they opened up the midfoot a bit and made some minor changes to the outsole, either changing the pattern or rubber density to make it feel a little bit more nimble than it’s perceived to be, then the Puma Velocity Nitro could arguably be at the top of the list for traditional daily trainers. Right now, however, there’s stiff competition this year in the $140-150 price bracket, with those offerings boasting a  lightweight and a slightly more exciting ride.

Regardless, the big cat continues to purr into the second half of the year. I have about 60 miles on the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 at the time of writing this and I’ll continue to lace them up after the review for some easy runs and, perhaps as my new travel shoe (like I said earlier, this thing can handle some road-to-tral if push comes to shove).

You can pick up the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 for $140 by using the buttons below.