Puma Magnify Nitro 3 Introduction

The Puma Magnify NITRO™ is considered a “max cushioning” daily trainer, with a stack height of 40 mm. and drop of 10 mm. This was Puma’s most cushioned shoe until the brand released the MagMax NITRO™ (46 mm. drop) in August 2024.

The Magnify NITRO™ is a highly cushioned and comfortable shoe in a line of other NITRO™ offerings for specific purposes. The cost is up $10 to $160 USD, which is a $25 increase in total over the past two models but in line with comparable shoes. Puma continues to update the midsole with their latest foams to improve responsiveness and lower weight.

The Foreverrun NITRO™ brings similar cushion but more support and stability. I have run in both of these shoes, and they offer a similar life-giving bounce into toe-off and a light ride.

The Velocity NITRO™ has a lower stack for speed workouts. Fast-R Nitro Elite models ($300 USD) are tailored to both long- and short-distance racing, while the Deviate NITRO™ Elite functions as a lower-cost racing/training shoe ($230 USD).

The Brooks Glycerin is a comparable shoe that also has a nitrogen-infused midsole. ASICS Gel-Nimbus and Saucony Triumph are also similar shoes.

TESTING DETAILS

These are the runs I did to test these shoes:

• 6 miles at 8:15/mi
• 2 miles at 8:55 /mi
• 9 miles at 8:22/mi
• 4 miles at 9:40/mi
• 3 miles at 7:05/mi
• 8 miles at 8:45/mi
• 10 miles at 8:20 mi
• 3 miles at 9:15/mi
• 4 miles, including 6 x 400 at 6:10/mi pace
• 9 miles at 8:45/mi
• 7 miles at 8:15/mi

Puma Magnify Nitro 3 First Impressions

When I first opened the box, the shoe looked smooth and inviting. The wave of midsole made me want to try it out right away!

Walking around in Magnify reminded me a lot of Puma’s Foreverrun NITRO™ because both have a very light and springy feel.

The heel has a significant “squishy” feel when walking, but I did not notice this while running, even when I purposefully did a strong heel strike.

I almost sent this shoe back for a half size bigger, just because the forefoot felt a bit snug, but I loosened the toe-end laces and thought I’d give it a try. (It worked!)

Puma Magnify Nitro 3 Upper

The upper of the Puma Magnify NITRO™ 3 combines a blend of synthetic and natural materials for comfort and support.

Woven mesh brings a good amount of stretch to the to the forefoot, which is complemented by a stronger strip of PWRTAPE on the inside and logo on the lateral side to bring some stability.

The laces are thin and not my favorite, but lace holes are well supported. The extra-wide tongue is fully gusseted to stay in place, meaning it is attached to the midsole on both sides, and it (mostly) protects my feet from hot spots. I had to loosen and re-tie a couple times, but it does a pretty good job.

I really like this tongue’s feel and function. It is lightly padded with breathable holes and a very easy-to-use loop. The loop is nice and wide and helps me slip the shoe on and pull the tongue where I want it with a quick yank.

My least favorite part of this shoe is the heel. It’s just a little wide, for me, and has a small heel counter, meaning it does not counter excess heel motion as much as I’d like. I have a very slight heel ache after wearing this shoe for long runs.

I compared Magnify’s sockliner to one from Brooks and ASICS. Puma’s was more firm than that from ASICS, while Brooks’ had a similar feel but more thickness. I think that Puma’s sturdy sockliner adds a firm touch to keep the midsole from feeling too squishy, in Magnity.

Fit is slightly long but true to size overall. My foot has some moderate bunions on each side, and the forefoot width almost made me size up. It is on the narrow side, but not as narrow as the Brooks Glycerin and ASICS GT-2000.

What kept me from sizing up is that the length is true to size, and the heel fit is closer to a medium width. Since my heel is narrower than my forefoot, I didn’t want to size up and have the heel and length be too big. Tying laces with heel lock loops in the top holes helps secure my foot a little better.

Loosening the laces towards the toe end of the shoe is just enough to allow me to wear the smaller of the two half sizes I vary between, but this shoe is available in wide width from some retailers, if you need it.

Puma Magnify Nitro 3 Sole Unit

The midsole of Magnify NITRO™ has changed again, with the last version using a TPU-base infused with nitrogen and the new midsole (likely) a PEBA base with nitrogen.

A friend of mine who is an engineer pointed out to me that the air we breathe is 78% nitrogen, so this may be a fancy way to say that they have air bubbles in the sole! Whether it’s pure nitrogen or just air, which is mostly nitrogen, the latest nitrogen foams in Puma NITRO™ shoes – also Brooks Glycerin, Ghost, and Hyperion – offer a great mix of cushion and bouncy responsiveness without feeling too soft.

The heel midsole is squishy when walking around, especially under the heel, but it does NOT feel like this while running, even when I purposefully land with hard heel strikes.

After 65 miles on the shoe, the midsole is starting to show compression lines, which makes me think it will last for a typical low to average lifespan of about 300 miles. The outsole shows very little wear after 65 miles, but the outside heel has worn the grip line down some.

The Pumagrip outsole grip makes the shoe feel “connected” and durable when I make a sudden turn, like it will respond to whatever I throw at it. It handles well on wet pavement.

Puma Magnify Nitro 3 Conclusions

Magnify NITRO™ 3 feels comfortable and buoyant on foot. This is a great all-around shoe for neutral runners, with a midsole that seems soft at first but feels more firm while running. Wear it for most runs, but you may want something thinner and firmer for fast intervals.