Deviate Nitro 3 vs Spectur 2

The Puma Deviate Nitro 3 is a carbon-plated do-it-all running shoe: enough pop to handle tempo work and race day, enough cushioning and rubber underfoot to survive your everyday miles. That dual-purpose brief is what sets it apart from a pure racer. Think of it as one shoe for the runner who wants a single versatile trainer rather than a rotation. With a 10mm drop and a firm-but-lively ride, it rewards you when you get on your toes and press the pace, while staying stable enough for steady runs. At 250g it is not the lightest plated shoe out there, and you notice that on the fastest reps, so treat it as a workhorse tempo and long-run trainer rather than a featherweight 5k weapon. For the £160 RRP you get real durability and a genuinely versatile ride. If you want one carbon shoe that does a bit of everything, it earns its place.

The Salomon Spectur 2 is the brand's road running shoe for runners who spend most of their week on tarmac but want that unmistakable Salomon security underfoot. It is a cushioned, do-most-things trainer rather than a stripped-back racer. At 250g it is on the heavier side for a shoe Salomon files under tempo, so treat it as a versatile daily training shoe that can lift to a steady effort rather than a featherweight speed tool. What you get for that weight is a planted, confident ride and a grippy outsole that shrugs off wet British pavements and the odd gravel path. The 8mm drop keeps you connected to the road. At £170 RRP it sits at the premium end, and there is no carbon plate here, so you are paying for build and grip rather than propulsion. We rate it as a reassuring everyday miles shoe for road runners who value durability and stability over snap. If you want a lighter Salomon road option, the Aero Glide 4 is the softer, bouncier stablemate.