FAST-R NITRO™ Elite 3

Puma fast R3 is a solid option for those distances, if you can find one that is. Even with the heel design at those distances and paces it keeps you more midfoot to forefoot and has a quick turnover.

Definitely a hard one to get and also a gamble on will it work. Besides all of the not so great reviews I see in the VF4 I also find that one to be a great shoe for the 5/10k distance as well. Lower stack and still propulsive feeling. I’ve raced both in both distances and both were a good choice so it’s hard for me to say which is better.

Puma especially since they now have the top-of-the-list raceshoe aswell at the moment. everything is just 20-30% cheaper then the competition, stuff is durable, grip is good. the only real lack in puma was a high-end supershoe for very fast people, but that has been solved with the r3. magmax is a good max-cushion, velocity is a good dailytrainer, you have the plated dailytrainer with DN3 that is durable for like 600-800km. DNE3 is good enaugh for me for non-technical competative trailracing and shorter races where i dont want to grind away the moneys-worth of my R3's. the only thing missing is a good trailshoe for very technical hiky-type of trails.

The Fast-R3 fits similar to the Deviate Nitro 2 and Velocity Nitro 2: narrowish in the forefoot and a touch long, but not virtually unusable like the Deviate Nitro 3. I have run a half marathon in the FR3 and had no issues with my feet whatsoever.

Anyone generalizing about all super shoes and paces required doesn’t know what they are talking about. There is such a huge, huge range now of plated shoes with different foams, different rides, different… everything. There are options where the plate’s main purpose is to stabilize landing on very soft midsole, others with extremely aggressive plate and foam/midsole combos. Huge rockers, small rockers, etc etc. If you are into it and want to spend some money there are absolutely a pair of plated shoes out there that would benefit you, even if that benefit was mostly due to low weight and energy return. *Some* more aggressive super shoes like the puma fast r 3 really do benefit from and almost require a certain amount of force to get the benefit, and the alphafly is a terrible choice if your going to sit back in your stride and/or heel strike. Depending on your foot width and landing pattern and preference there are a lot of options though. I would try some on, ideally in a running store with an in store treadmill, and see how you feel. Wear them with pride whatever you get and enjoy them :)

Puma Fast-r Nitro Elite 3 should be on your list. I went to a shop to try the Vaporfly 4 and the Puma Fast-r Elite 3 last year. The Puma felt faster and more protective, it was a no brainer for me. I still love them and just feel fast and energetic. I bought them and have done an 18:26 5k PB in them and 38:39 10k PB. While a lot of that is down to the running and strength training, I also know the shoes are giving me the best chance out there and help me feel confident. If I could get them cheap enough and it was purely for 5km then I'd try the Vaporfly 4 again, but only to help save the Puma for when I really wanted a PB. They both fit fairly narrow. The Puma has a cut away heel which means it's really not for heel striking at all. If you're mid to heel then check out the Nitro Elite 4 or 3 (not the Fast-r version). I also tried the Streakfly 2. If you're strong with great form and want something more like a track spike for the road, they're super light and would be quick. But for me I wanted more shock absorption even for a 5k to half marathon race. They just weren't for me.

Coming from the Vaporfly Next 2's (which I loved), I tried the Vaporfly 4's, the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite 3's and the Fast R3's. I also look at the Metaspeed Paris range but it seemed that these other three would be better for me (and the Tokyo's weren't out yet). Conclusion for me: Puma Fast R3. The Vaporfly 4's were lacking underfoot cushioning/protection it felt like, and felt slower than the Fast R 3's anyway. The Nitro Elite 3's felt great, but I wanted the fastest and lightest and the Fast R 3's were that. I bought them and have done one 5km solo time trial in them and went 18:45 on a slow course. They felt great. But - as a slight pronator who gets more towards heel strike as I tire, I would have doubts about taking these past a half marathon. For me, at 77kg, I would definitely make these my 5km and 10km shoes, half marathon it would be between the Vaporfly 2's or the Fast R3's (probably would try the latter at least once). Marathon I'd look at something else (Alphafly or Asics Tokyo) or use the Vaporfly 2's that still have some life in them.

A year ago the Alphafly 3 were the most I saw in marathons nearby. Good shoe though can make a kind of sound when the airpod hits the ground. Really good energy return. Brooks Hyperion recent models may be worth a look on discount, though I don't believe their energy return is quite measuring as high as the latest Puma or ASICS race shoes but the Hyperion PB seems reasonably stable for a modern race shoe. If I were buying right now I'd look at the ASICS Tokyo and the Puma Nitro Elites. I tried the Nitro Elite 3 on a treadmill and they felt great right away but also not too wild. They fit fairly narrow, which works for me. I bought the Puma Fast-r 3 but I'd want to test them in a half before a marathon. They are really quick but I think would be bad if you're heel striking. I love them for the 5k and 10k races I've done in them so far. Probably not what you're after though. The ASICS are very light with great energy return. Possibly a slightly less narrow fit but I've not tried them on. As well as suiting your gait and foot strike it's really worth making sure your race shoes fit well. A marathon is a long way to go if your foot is constricted or swimming around. Good luck and let us know what you go with.

I love the current generation Puma. The Nitro Elites are fun and relatively stable. If you're a wider foot the New Balance Supercomp Elite are a good option. The ASICS Tokyo will be among the lightest and with highest energy return, but I don't find them as stable as these two or the Pro 4. I think they're a type of shoe to work up to. My suggestion would be the Pro 4 if they fit and you can get them on discount. This will tell you a lot about what you like and don't like, and they may be spot on for your fastest sessions and races for now.

Have a bunch of shoes that I don't need, but I've narrowed it down to the following rotation. * **Long/recovery:** Puma MagMax * **Daily/tempo:** Adidas Adizero EVO SL * **Interval/repetition:** Brooks Hyperion 2 I like the EVO SL for easy runs, but really all three can do easy. I wanted a more stable and protective shoe than the EVO SL for long runs, so brought in the MagMax. (Superblast 2 was a consideration but none of the stores around me have it to try on.) I find the EVO SL too mushy for fast speed work, and prefer running intervals in something firm and lower-stack rather than something plated (imo it's me who needs the speed training, not the shoe), so that's where the Hyperion 2 comes in. * **Race:** Puma Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 Pretty extreme choice of race shoe (especially since I'm a heel striker), but at AU$350 I couldn't resist, and I've actually found it really agrees with me at any pace steady-state and above. (Can't run easy in them though.) I'm also interested in trying the Takumi Sen 11 as a dedicated 5k race shoe, and/or getting a more "traditional" carbon race shoe to complement the Fast-R 3.

>If I factor in a \~3km warm up + \~1+km cool down + strides/drills/dynamic warm ups, my interval days can stretch *up to* 15km, and take up to 3h. Okay, first of all, 3hrs is not just an interval day -- that's a *quality long run*. You might already be onto this, but it would be remiss not to check to make sure that you're getting [adequate carbs](https://marathonhandbook.com/carbs-for-runners/) to support this session. Particularly during the run, I'd look for an energy gel or other carb supplement which allows you to get into the 30-60g/hr ballpark. Not getting enough carbs to support your workout risks LEA/RED-S, [bone stress injuries](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQfTkmef_s4), etc. Personally I picked up a femoral neck stress reaction last year when I got overzealous about my long runs without being aware of the carb loading required during/after the run to support them. I might also suggest looking for ways to get this workout down to sub 2:30, since the conventional wisdom is that going longer than that doesn't tend to offer great returns. >I'm wondering if I should look for something higher stack (not the speediest, a little clunky if sessions are on a track), or lower stack (more agile and faster) shoe? Highly individual. Different people respond differently to various kinds of speed assistance in shoes. A lot of the regulars on these kinds of subreddits aren't going to be familiar with how shoes respond in your pace ranges. Personally I find that if you put a superfoam under my feet, I'll usually save \~10-20s/km even at my *easy* effort (around 5:40-6:20/km) at the same heart rate and RPE, and getting down to R and I paces will feel significantly easier. That's been the case with the EVO SL, Megablast, Tempus 2 on a downhill, Takumi Sen 11, Adios Pro 4, SC Elite v5, and Fast-R 3 (I can't run easy in that last one, but god is it effortless to run fast in those). Weirdly I don't seem to respond to the Pegasus Plus (now a shoe I wear if I want to run honest easy mileage), or the Vaporfly 4 at easy pace (they get good during repeats though). But that's just me. There are other people around here who will tell you that they don't perceive any speed assistance in supershoes, or only do at fast paces, etc. The literature apparently backs up there being a lot of variance in response level to speed assistance features between runners, and doesn't have a great handle on the properties of runners which might *predict* those response levels, fwiw. The EVO SL could be a good shout if you want an affordable shoe with a race stack (i.e. not moderate, but not max stack either), have a high-*volume* foot (not sure how a truly *wide* foot does in them though), don't need too much medial support (stability is complex, plenty of people find them unstable but personally I find these more stable than the Megablast), and happen to respond well to a firmer superfoam, a nice posteriolateral heel bevel, and a flexible forefoot with a large early rocker. It's also being sold everwhere, so you should be able to try it on. Otherwise I think you just have to try stuff and see what works. Shoe preferences are very individual.

Similar weight and height with same goals. Have tried ALOT of shoes this year for a lot of miles. My all around shoe that I have 4 pairs of now is the adidas adios pro 3. Nothing comes close. And they are insanely durable, and yes, they can be used even as a daily trainer. Many people use them as such and they are perfect for heavier runners. To name a few shoes I’ve run in (not just tried on), Adios Pro 4, Puma Fast R 3, Saucony Endorphin Elite 2, Sky Tokyo, Adios 9, Prime X 2 Strung, Evo SL, Endorphin Speed 4, Superblast 2, Megablast, Glycerin Max, MagMax, AlphaFly 3, Novablast 5, Hoka Mach 6, Skyward X, Rebel v4, and a lot more I’m forgetting. Adios Pro 3 is king. (Although I do use Puma Fast R 3 for more sessions at threshold and above, including racing).