Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Performance Review

Last year’s Puma Velocity Nitro was a winning part of Puma’s new performance running line and garnered a ton of good publicity. The Puma Velocity Nitro 2 improves on the original in multiple ways. The Velocity Nitro 2 is a worthy competitor to runner favorites such as the Nike Pegasus line and the Brooks Ghost series. At $120, this is a shoe that should be on every runner’s radar, and actually made our best running shoes list, our best road running shoes list, our best Puma running shoe list, our list of the best running shoes for high arches, as well as our list of the best running shoes for men. It’s also great for beginners and those who prefer neutral-cushioned running shoes.

Pros

Nitro Cushioning

Puma supercritical (nitrogen-injected) Nitro foam is one of my favorite foams. It’s snappy and responsive. It’s also bouncy and leaves my legs feeling good. In the Puma Velocity Nitro 2, the implementation is Nitro on top with a layer of EVA on the bottom. The EVA acts as a stabilizer and carrier for the Nitro. And though the stack height isn’t huge (only 33.5mm in the heel), it’s easy to feel the Nitro foam.

The Nitro is especially noticeable in the forefoot. Press down with the ball of your foot and you feel the Nitro pushing back in a way that feels a lot like Nike’s Zoom Air. Many view Zoom Air as the pinnacle cushioning system. Puma achieving a similar sensation with just foam is impressive. If Nitro’s on a shoe, you’ll know it.

With the Velocity Nitro 2, you get a really good amount of cushion for the price. The cushion worked well for long runs, short runs and speed work. The great Nitro cushion really drives this shoe’s ability to handle any running workout.

Puma Grip Outsole

Puma Grip is the best rubber compound on the market right now. Rain, snow, frost…you name it, Puma Grip doesn’t stop grabbing the pavement. There’s three different patterns on the bottom of Velocity Nitro 2 and none of them ever slipped. When the bad weather hits, if you grab a shoe with Puma Grip you’ll be completely secure.

And that security doesn’t affect durability. I’ve put close to 100 miles on my pair and they only look slightly used. The Puma Velocity Nitro 2 will last a long time.

Heel Padding

One of the few complaints about the original Velocity Nitro was the heel padding and lockdown. While not everyone complained, there were plenty of people who liked the shoes a lot but didn’t enjoy the heel fit. To answer those complaints, Puma added medium thickness heel collar padding to the Velocity Nitro 2. It’s not an overstuffed collar like’d you sometimes get with Asics or Brooks. Puma opted for something more svelte that still cups the achilles and keeps the heel locked down into the shoe.

While I didn’t have issues with the original, I could tell on first wear that the heel just felt more robust and hearty. If the v1 heel was a complaint of yours, rest easy knowing Puma’s got you covered with v2.

Cons

Engineered Mesh Upper

Both of these cons are nitpicks on a great shoe but I need to mention them. First, is the type of engineered mesh used on the upper. It might be the roughest engineered mesh I’ve ever felt. Kind of a rough nylon rope type material. I suppose the idea was increased durability and I’m sure it provides that…it just doesn’t feel great in hand. Thankfully your foot can’t feel the main upper material because of the interior mesh bootie. So it really doesn’t affect performance, it just feels coarse and unappealing.

Excess Forefoot Material

While this didn’t seem to affect the shoe’s performance, I know it’s something of a pet peeve for certain runners. The fuse around the eyelets and tongue combines with a little too much forefoot mesh to create a weird flexing situation. On both of my shoes, the forefoot materials poof up and crash into each other with each step. It didn’t bug me when I was running or active but I could feel it during casual wear. If this is the type of fit issue that bugs you, take note.

Puma Velocity Nitro 2 Summary

So yeah, the Puma Velocity Nitro 2 doesn’t have a perfect upper, but the rest of the shoe is freakin’ great. At $120, you won’t get a perfect shoe. But getting a shoe that can handle any type of running while packing awesome cushioning and amazing traction for $120? That’s a bargain.