Puma's Newest Super Shoe Can Purportedly Shave Minutes Off of Your Marathon Time
The Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 comes in 95 grams lighter than its predecessor, and a study commissioned by the company found that the shoe's prototype was 3.15 to 3.62 percent more economical than other super shoes on the market. Over the course of 26 miles, this could translate to saving more than 4 minutes and 30 seconds in time.
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A decoupled midsole is made out of a new NitroFoam Elite foam compound, and the PwrPlate has been restructured in a bid for improved propulsion and efficiency while maintaining its conspicuous extension out past the toe. Multi-surface traction is provided by the PumaGrip outsole, and a lightweight UltraWeave upper is tailored to comfort and support.
Puma commissioned the University of Massachusetts Amherst to compare the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 prototype with the Nike Alphafly 3, Adidas Adios Pro Evo 1 and Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 2.
Wouter Hoogkamer, senior author of the study and head of the UMass Integrative Locomotion Lab, said the difference in running economy for super shoes on the market is typically no more than 1 percent and that the field has plateaued since Nike broke through with a 4 percent improvement on its first Vaporfly.
'The most striking result from this study was the consistency of the running economy improvements,' Hoogkamer said in a press release. 'For every single participant the numbers showed that running was easiest — requiring the least amount of metabolic energy — in the Fast-R 3. This is remarkable. From years of research we know that our lab-measured improvements in running energetics translate to faster race times.'
A data-driven computational design process saw Puma's latest super shoe created and revised digitally rather than being made as a physical shoe, tested and tweaked. Before a foot ever went into the shoe, Puma digitally identified optical foam placement, material properties, carbon fiber layering and overall geometry.
'Optimizing this approach has resulted in science and data that proves Puma is not just competing in the running category, we're leading it,' Romain Girard, Puma vice president of Innovation said. 'This is a truly generational shoe that sets a new standard for the entire category.'
Puma's team of elite competitors will wear the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 at both the Boston and London Marathons, as will 300 runners chosen from the public to participate in its Project3 training program.
The Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 will be available to purchase beginning Friday, April 17, exclusively at Puma's Boston Marathon Experience at 745 Boylston Street. A wider but still limited drop will then follow April 25 through Puma's website and flagship stores, as well as select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $300.
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