PUMA Men's Liberate Nitro Running Shoe

Product Information

Editor's Note: Our French contributors Alex and Jeremy have done yeoman's work translating their original French article to English. The Liberate has a true performance fit, where it is narrow through the midfoot and toe box to hold the foot nice and snug. Length-wise, I actually found the shoe to fit slightly long (1.5-2 thumb widths) compared to the other shoes in the line-up that I've tried (Velocity and Deviate Nitro Elite). There were times when pushing the pace that I would feel the extra length during toe off and did affect how smooth propulsion was (more on that below in the next section). Overall, the upper lives up to the "Liberate" name, with minimal reinforcements and flexible materials. At its core, this is a lightweight tempo shoe, and we’d probably keep it in that range. And by lightweight, we mean really lightweight, at just 6.8 ounces for a US M9. It appears they fixed some of the issues we had with the shoe, including a softer and more supportive upper. The upper on v1 was a bit stiff and scratchy with no heel support, so we’re happy to see that. Like Alex, too much padding around the heel collar on the Velocity leading to a bit of discomfort on the run, in an otherwise comfortable upper. And it soaks up water making an already heavy shoe even heavier.

Puma never really left the mainstream running scene, but its image and popularity were not high the past few years. It is true that if you think of Puma, it’s more likely to have in mind images of sneakers, sprints at the Olympics but not necessarily the names of running models. Puma chose the beginning of 2021 to give a new start to its collection, by introducing a “Nitro” lineup - a name that leaves little doubt about the promotion of the new Nitro foam infused in nitrogen. We are reviewing three models of the lineup, and are absent of this test the Eternity (stability) and the Deviate Elite (even more race-ready version of the Deviate Nitro, with a PEBA foam infused in nitrogen - shoes seen on the feet of Molly Seidel during her 1:09 half marathon on February 28). Instead of a full Nitro midsole, you get a two-piece version with a firmer rim and softer core to allow for soft and responsive landings, but more structure on the outside to keep you foot in place. Puma also partnered with a running specialist retailer out of Denmark to design a more custom orthotic midsole that wraps the heel and offers more arch support. As far as the Voyage Nitro, we didn’t even know this shoe existed in previous versions, so we have no idea what to compare it against. But let us say that this shoe looks incredible, so we’re cool with it no matter how it performs. Puma is far from being the most obvious choice amongst running shoes. Some sports fans will be able to tell you that during his reign over the sprinting world, Usain Bolt used Pumas spikes. Or that the brand offers very nice lifestyle sneakers. But I bet many people don't even know that they had some nice running shoes some years ago with the FAAS line. They were no nonsense shoes, efficient, with a nice fit, a stunning grip, all at a sensible price. This foam is truly a successful compromise between support and comfort on the one hand and flexibility / dynamism on the other. In comparison, Boost does not really have this flexibility for example (its density may be too high to allow it?). And the Liberate is really a perfect showcase for the Nitro foam which expresses itself wonderfully there.

Puma Liberate Nitro Conclusion

The new Puma lineup (Liberate, Velocity and Deviate) offers quality and versatility, lively Nitro Foam, and all are at accessible prices At 6.7 ounces (191 g), it is the lightest shoe in Puma’s stable (barely beating out the Liberate Nitro 2). PUMA RUN XX NITRO 2 WNS The shoe does not move, the support is straightforward and the stride is really accompanied by a shoe that impinges a little on the sensations but still really allows you to play on a large range of paces without any problem.

For 2021, the big cat shows its claws and delivers a complete lineup, from a lightweight trainer to a pure carbon-plated race machine, all using the new nitrogen infused Nitro Foam. I spent quite a bit of time just playing with the shoe in my hands, twisting it in all directions, pressing down on the Nitro foam with my fingers. And quite frankly the experience is pleasant: you can bend it, twist it, undulate it in all directions and the nitrogen-infused midsole is particularly fun to the touch. Less firm than ZoomX or than DNA flash, a little more lively than PWRRUN. It really reacts like a flexible and supple spring.

Puma Liberate Nitro 2 Sole Unit

NOTABLE FEATURES: We first saw this shoe in one of its early iterations at the Boston Marathon weekend last year, and it was a wild one for sure. While some brands like Mizuno are cutting out the heel section in race shoes, Puma see-sawed the other way with an aggressive toe cut-out. Oh, wait, it also includes an undercut heel as well. Finally, good single-leg balance is key given that minimal shoes will not provide as much stability or guidance compared to traditional shoes. Working on being able to balance for AT LEAST 30 seconds with your eyes closed will demonstrate solid balance and proprioception.

The supercritical Nitro midsole provided a responsive ride that embraced the simplistic joy of running. And they didn’t stop there, refining those models in concurrent versions, fixing the things that didn’t work and keeping the things that did. Oh, and they also put a race day shoe (Deviate Nitro Elite) on Molly Seidel as she took home bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. NOTABLE FEATURES: To the trails we go. Puma is developing what they call their “Seasons” range, and we’re very into it. The sizes are awkward (my EU 45 is a US 11.5 with a length of...29.5cm) - even half a size down I think the shoes would be “long”

Who should buy the Puma Liberate Nitro 2 ?

I had high hopes that the Liberate Nitro 2 could a faster lighter shoe for me like the Hyperspeed, but it sits more on the training side of this category. I attribute this to the foam being soft/compliant enough that it bottoms out instead of being snappy and resilient. Increasing the foam durometer a little may help with this. While this is a minimal shoe and the softer foam offsets this a bit, I really want Puma to consider fixing their heel bevel placement. Angling that bevel just a little more lateral will do wonders for smoothing out the heel transitions of their shoes (I believe in you Puma, you can do this). Performance: A (Fun and rather versatile ride, really light on the foot, functional for lots of different workouts and even daily miles) In line with being more of a trainer, the durability has been quite good. I have over 20 miles on my pair and have almost no wear in my usual spots (posterior lateral heel). I expect an above-average number of miles out of these for a more minimal shoe, but average for a lightweight trainer.