Velocity Nitro 4 vs Spectur 2

The Velocity Nitro 4 is Puma at its most sensible: a do-everything daily training shoe built to soak up mile after mile without asking much of your legs or your wallet. At 245g with a 9.7mm drop it sits in the sweet spot for a road workhorse, light enough to pick up the pace but cushioned enough for a two-hour long run. Nitro foam gives it a lively, slightly springy feel that flatters easy running, and at an RRP of £110 it undercuts most of the daily trainers it competes with. This is not a carbon racer and it does not pretend to be. It is the shoe you reach for on ordinary days, the one that quietly logs most of your weekly volume. If you want a single, honest running shoe that handles easy runs, steady miles and the occasional tempo without fuss, the Velocity Nitro 4 is one of the safest picks in its class. Runners who want the extra pop of a plate should look at the Deviate Nitro 4 instead.

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.