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The Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is one of the best running shoes for daily training, with a comfortable but versatile ride and excellent outsole. It’s also great value, especially in the UK, where it undercuts other great daily trainers like the Asics Novablast 5 and New Balance Rebel v5.
We’ve rated the Velocity Nitro very highly since the original launched in 2021 and have tested each generation of the shoe to date. The Velocity Nitro 4 is the best yet thanks to the new midsole, which is made entirely from NitroFoam, making the shoe lighter and springier than its predecessors.
Design & Key Stats
- Price: £110/$140
- Weight: 247g/8.7oz (men’s UK 9 / US 10)
- Drop: 10mm
- Stack: 36mm heel, 26mm forefoot
- Upper: Lightweight engineered mesh with PWRTAPE overlays
- Midsole: NitroFoam
- Outsole: PumaGrip on forefoot and heel
Puma Velocity Nitro 4 review
How’s The Fit
Nick, Tom and Mike tested the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 for our review and all found that it had a good amount of room in their normal running shoe size. It is a little wider than the Velocity Nitro 3, but still quite narrow through the midfoot in particular, so if you have wider feet the fit might be a tad tight.
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The Run Test: Likes
The Puma Velocity Nitro 4 is a lighter and more fun to run in than the previous models in the line thanks to the new midsole, which is 100% NitroFoam rather than the dual-density NitroFoam/ProFoam Lite setup on the Velocity Nitro 3. It has a poppy, responsive feel that is comfortable at slow paces and energetic at faster speeds.
It’s definitely an upgrade for faster runs thanks to the lighter, more dynamic midsole. We rate it as one of the more versatile daily trainers out there, in line with shoes like the New Balance Rebel v5 in being capable of handling tempo and interval runs as well as your easy outings.
Despite the relative lack of cushioning underfoot compared with most modern daily trainers, many of which have over 40mm of foam at the heel, the Velocity Nitro 4 always felt comfortable on longer runs and the foam didn’t bottom out on extended hard runs.
As ever with Puma shoes the outsole is also worth highlighting, because the PumaGrip rubber is durable and grips well in all conditions. The Velocity Nitro 4 is even good on light trails, and the layer of rubber on the outsole is surprisingly thick given the light weight of the shoe.
The Run Test: Dislikes
The narrow design and fairly soft midsole foam means that the Velocity Nitro 4 is not an especially stable shoe, and if you are worried about this then wider daily trainers like the Novablast 5 or Hoka Clifton 10 would perhaps serve you better.
The 10mm drop won’t be to everyone’s taste either, and the Velocity Nitro 4 has quite a traditional, flat and snappy ride as opposed to the smooth rockers found on many shoes these days. It didn’t detract from the ride feel for us, but again is different to a shoe like the Clifton or Novabast.
Verdict And Alternatives
We loved running in the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 and it’s a shoe that will likely stick around in our rotations going forward as a comfortable daily trainer with enough range for faster efforts.
It’s one of the best cushioned running shoes you can get if you don’t want to max out the amount of foam underfoot, but if you do want a more cushioned ride then the Novablast 5 and Clifton 10 are great alternatives.
The New Balance Rebel v5 is also worth considering if you need a more stable daily trainer and still want a very lightweight one, with the Rebel v5 being even lighter than the Puma, though the midsole foam is better on the Velocity Nitro 4, in our opinion.
We rate the Velocity Nitro 4 as a considerable upgrade on the Velocity Nitro 3, but the older model is still a very strong daily trainer itself and you might find it in sales at a much lower price than the new shoe. In that case it’s worth considering if you’re on a tight budget.
Puma Velocity Nitro 4 vs New Balance Rebel v5
Both are impressive, lightweight daily trainers that offer decent value and can handle a wide range of runs. The Velocity Nitro 4 has a higher drop and a more responsive midsole foam, which makes it a little better for faster runs, while the Rebel v5 is more stable and comfortable thanks to its wider base.
Puma Velocity Nitro 4 vs Asics Novablast 5
The Novablast 5 is more cushioned and stable than the Velocity Nitro 4, but also heavier and less capable at faster paces. The Puma has a springier midsole foam, but it’s not as comfortable under the forefoot, where it has a much lower stack height than the Novablast 5.
Puma Velocity Nitro 4 vs Puma Magnify Nitro 3
If you want a slightly more cushioned shoe than the Velocity 4, the Magnify Nitro 3 is worth considering. It’s a little comfier, though also more expensive and heavier than the Velocity Nitro 4, but still has a versatile ride thanks to its PEBA midsole.
Puma Velocity Nitro 4 vs Adidas Adizero Evo SL
Two of our favourite new shoes of 2025, the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 and Adidas Evo SL both offer lightweight, versatile rides and are both great value as well. the Adidas leans more towards faster runs and races and is less stable than the Puma, which is better suited for daily training and has a better outsole. You could get both for a cracking two-shoe rotation.