English Puma All Pro Nitro Review
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Puma All Pro Nitro
The Puma All Pro Nitro is a worthy follow-up to an all time great basketball shoe, the Puma Clyde All Pro, but it’s a very different hoop shoe.
Colorway: Red / blue /white
Release Date: 2023
Price: $130
The Puma All Pro Nitro is the highly anticipated sequel to a fan-favorite Puma Basketball shoe, the Puma Clyde All Pro. The Clyde All Pro was the best basketball shoe of 2020, an all-time great performance basketball shoe, and reminded us of the Kobe 9 (on court). It has been a while since that original All Pro model dropped and sneakerheads have wondered when we’d be getting the second version, and how it would compare.
Well, it’s here, and it looks like it will be a beast on court. The Puma All Pro Nitro will be Scoot Henderson’s non-signature signature for the 2023-24 season and is a very different shoe to the OG All Pros. Let’s get into the performance review and see exactly what is different in this version and how they perform on court.
UPDATE: The Puma All Pro Nitro was one of the best basketball shoes all around of 2024, as well as one of the most comfortable, one of the best options for point guards, and one of the best low tops as well.
Puma All Pro Nitro Tech Specs:
Puma All Pro Nitro Traction
The All Pro Nitro features a translucent rubber outsole (at least in this colorway of the shoe) with a cross-hatched traction pattern that is very similar to the original All Pros. A translucent rubber sole can sometimes be cause for concern, but not when we’re talking about Puma. Their translucent rubbers routinely outperform their solid rubber outsoles both in terms of grip and durability.
That cross-hatching of the traction pattern performed great on the OGs, and it does just as well in the All Pro Nitro. The crisscrossing lines provide great multidirectional coverage, and that elite translucent rubber grips the court like no one’s business.
One significant change you will find compared to the Clyde All Pro is the width of the sole, which is a nice update to give the shoe some added stability. The Clyde All Pro wasn’t an unstable shoe but this just makes the stability even better.
Puma All Pro Nitro Cushion
Here we see the biggest change regarding the previous model, and what makes the Puma All Pro Nitro stand out among other low-profile guard-style basketball shoes. We have a full-length slab of Puma’s Nitro foam, encased in a supercritical foam (which we have seen before on some Brandblack products). The supercritical foam carrier helps keep that Nitro foam stable as you play.
This setup is excellent if you’re looking for a nimble basketball shoe with a little extra compression and impact protection. The Nitro All Pro is noticeably plusher than the OG All Pro, but still offers a very well-balanced ride on court, akin to Nike’s Zoom or ETPU-based cushioning setups like what we saw on the Way of Wade 10.
Puma All Pro Nitro Materials
The materials are nothing special. The Puma Nitro All Pro combines a primarily textile upper with some synthetic leather overlays for added containment. The shoe might feel slightly stiff straight out of the box but don’t worry, break-in time is minimal. Two upgrades that the Nitro All Pro feature are improved eyelets (the original ones were very brittle) and added lace cables in the forefoot for improved containment.
Even though the materials themselves aren’t top-notch, they do perform well on the court. The textiles help keep the shoe lightweight and breathable, and the synthetic leather provides decent lateral containment. The new lace cables also do their job well drawing your foot into the footbed.
Puma All Pro Nitro Support
This is another aspect of the All-Pro Nitro that is very different from the original model. Aside from those new lace cables, and that wider baser, the shoe is also equipped with a substantial TPU shank plate. This will provide all the torsional rigidity you will need on court and a springy feeling underfoot. It also provides added stability to the cushioning system which is a plus.
Puma All Pro Nitro Fit
The Puma All Pro Nitro fits true to size, so go with whatever size you usually use with Puma. Fit has also been improved on this model with an upgraded lacing system which allows for better personalization.
Puma All Pro Nitro Overall
The Puma All Pro Nitro is a very different shoe from the original, but it’s a worthy follow-up to an all-time great performance basketball shoe. What you’ll be getting is a shoe with great traction, a plush and well-balanced cushioning system, ok materials that do their job well, and a very good performance basketball shoe all around.
