Deviate Nitro Elite 4 vs Fast-R Nitro Elite 3

At 170g, the Deviate Nitro Elite 4 now weighs the same as Puma's more aggressive Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, and that shifts who it's for. It keeps the steadier, heel-strike-friendly shape the Elite line has always had, but most reviewers found the midsole livelier than the Elite 3's and the outsole better too. One long-term tester said it was the first Deviate Elite they'd enjoyed since the original, and Believe in the Run went further, calling it Puma's best race shoe so far. We see it as a carbon racing shoe for 10K and half marathon, and a marathon shoe for runners who find the Fast-R too twitchy. The catches are a narrow midfoot, thin forefoot rubber and early wear reports from a couple of testers. At £215 RRP it's priced alongside the big names, so check the price table before paying full whack.

At 170g, the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 is one of the lighter full-stack carbon racing shoes we track, and most reviewers rank it among the fastest they've raced in. The price of that speed is stability, durability and a ride that only makes sense when you're working hard. That makes it a very good running shoe for a fairly small group: efficient mid and forefoot strikers racing 5K to the half, and quick marathoners whose form doesn't fall apart late on. The Run Testers raced it at the London Marathon and felt it was lighter and more efficient than the Alphafly 3, though never a shoe they stopped noticing. Running Shoes Guru was less taken, marking it down for wobbliness and early wear at this price. At £260 RRP it sits at the top of the market, and Puma's own Deviate Nitro Elite 4 is £45 less if you want a carbon racer from the same range without the Fast-R's quirks.