Puma PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Introduction

When I reviewed the Fast-R 2 last year, I said that it felt more like a training shoe than a racer. It was too heavy and it didn’t feel as fast as other marathon racers. I also felt that it transitioned slowly from heel to forefoot because there was no midfoot section in the sole. I didn’t use it for any races and I also preferred the much lighter, much smoother, Deviate Elite 3.

The Fast-R 3 costs $40 more than its predecessor, which is an insane increase. Usually, the price increase for running shoes from iteration to iteration is in the region of $5-$15. It now costs more than the Nike Alphafly, Saucony Endorphin Elite and the On Cloudboom Strike.

To ensure that people still buy the shoe, PUMA hired Dr. Wouter Hoogkamer to conduct a study to prove that the Fast-R is “more efficient” than competitors. He and his team also conducted the study of the Nike Vaporfly 4% that garnered the name.

He managed to prove that on average, the Fast-R 3 improved running economy by 3.5% compared to competitors. This study has to be taken with a grain of salt though because it has not been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and the full methodology and data have not been publicly disclosed. The sample size was also a small one, consisting of only 15 athletes.

The Fast-R 3 weighs 6 oz (170 g) for a men’s US 9. This is 2.8 oz (80 g) lighter than its predecessor. It has the same midsole stack heights, 40 mm/32 mm and it costs $300.

Puma PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 First Impressions

My first run in the Fast-R 3 was an all out half marathon. This version felt much more like a racer, unlike V2. The lighter build could be felt immediately and transitions felt faster. I also noticed that it felt less stable than V2.

It rained lightly for most of the race but the Fast-R 3’s traction was superb. The upper was a lot more comfortable than its predecessor and it fit me like a glove. It didn’t absorb much liquid.

I finished the race in 1 hour 33 minutes which wasn’t a PB for me but the route had a lot of elevation. The Fast-R 3 was good but it didn’t blow me away with its speed assistance. It reminded me of the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 but with a more stable ride. It’s also much lighter than the Cielo X1.

Puma PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Upper

The Fast-R 3 has a new Ultraweave engineered mesh that feels a lot thinner, lighter and more foot-conforming than the previous version. It no longer has a bootie construction so the collar and tongue are not knitted. This makes the shoe feel cooler and more suitable for racing.

The tongue is paper-thin and not gusseted so you have to flatten it when putting it on so that it doesn’t fold. They’ve removed the annoying, hard fin on the heel counter; heel lockdown is still excellent.

The Fast-R fits true to size for me but it runs a bit longer than average. It has a spacious interior for a racer so I’d recommend it for wide footed runners. There are no reflective elements on this version.

Puma PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Sole Unit

There are a couple significant changes they’ve made to get the Fast-3 to feel faster than its predecessor. The biggest change is that they’ve added a midfoot section to the midsole- there was previously a gap between the rearfoot and the forefoot. This gap made transitions feel slow if you were a heel striker, like myself.

The filled in midsole now makes transitions feel smoother. The heel and the forefoot still feel like 2 separate parts but heel to toe transitions are quicker. If you’re a heel striker, you’ll be able to notice this immediately.

The Nitro Elite foam in the midsole is still aliphatic TPU, but it’s been reformulated to be slightly softer than V2. Energy return is decent but it’s not quite as explosive as some other top-tier foams on the market. It has a good amount of compression when you load it but it doesn’t spring back as fast as some PEBA foams that are currently available.

The Fast-R 3 feels better the faster you go. When you’re doing fast paces (threshold or faster) and you’re landing further forward, it feels most efficient. That’s why it’s more suited to midfoot/forefoot strikers than heel strikers. When doing my marathon pace or slower, I can feel the decoupled heel compress first before the forefoot and there’s a slight delay.

The carbon PWRPLATE is more flexible than in the last 2 versions of the shoe. I feel like this change makes it less aggressive because the rocker isn’t as prominent. It doesn’t feel as punchy with a carbon plate that bends during transitions. I also experienced this in the HOKA Cielo X1 2.0 and I hope they return to a super stiff plate in the next version.

The Fast-R 2 was a very stable super shoe but the Fast-R 3 is quite the opposite. With less torsional rigidity through the midfoot section (because of the flexible plate and softer foam), the Fast-R 3 feels unstable when cornering and when running on uneven surfaces. I feel that it doesn’t provide enough stability for me to use it for a marathon.

The longest run I did in the Fast-R 3 was 32 kilometres and that’s the most my legs could handle. By the end of that run, my ankles, shins and calves felt overworked.

The outsole is where they’ve managed to save a lot of weight. The outsole rubber is much thinner and smoother than previous versions so it’s no longer a racer that you can use for training too. It should only be used on race days. My pair is showing significant wear in the centre of the rearfoot where there is no rubber protection. Traction is exceptional, even in wet weather.

When it comes to build quality, the Fast-R 3 is a level below the flagship marathon racers from other brands. On my pair, after just 86 kilometres, there’s a long cavity/groove forming on the forefoot of the outsole rubber. It’s as if the foam is caving in on itself. I reached out to someone at PUMA about it and he said that it’s not normal for this to happen.

At the toe cap, the rubber is also separating from the foam, exposing the carbon plate on the one shoe. Not what you want to see from a shoe that costs $300 before tax.

Puma PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Conclusions

If you’re going to be charging $300, you need to have something that feels like a game-changer and is a lot faster than the competition. For me, the Fast-R Elite 3 is not a top-tier marathon racer (in terms of speed assistance) and I think for most runners, it will be too unstable to use for a full marathon. You need to have really solid running form to be able to run in it for over 2 hours at a fast pace.

The Deviate Elite 3 is the better, more stable PUMA marathon racer in my opinion and most runners who are 3 hour marathoners or slower will prefer the Deviate Elite. The Deviate Elite 3 is $70 cheaper than the Fast-R 3, has a smoother ride and it’s easier to buy- there’s plenty of stock currently available.

The Fast-R 3 is lighter and it’s faster than the Fast-R 2 for half marathons or shorter but for a marathon, I would pick the Fast-R 2. The Fast-R 2 is a lot more stable and will support you better when your form breaks down in the final quarter of the marathon.

I think they could have widened the base of the Fast-R 3 more and sacrificed some of the weight saving. That would have made it stabler and more appealing for a wider range of runners. I also preferred the stiffer plates of V1 and V2 that provided more speed assistance.