I had been eyeing this shoe since early this year when the first photos were shown after TRE. Obviously, a good deal of hype and expectations were built up along the way, and this is one of those rare shoes that exceeds such expectations - for me, at least. But, I have to say, other shoes have done the same this year. So many great shoes coming out now and all the brands are competing hard and making the right adjustments and choices during the development of new models. Overall, though, Puma has really put it together this year with a very solid lineup that is easy to understand - Deviate Nitro Elite 3 being the top-end racer, Deviate Nitro 3 being the tempo workout shoe, Velocity Nitro 3 the workhorse daily trainer to eat up the easy miles, and the MagMax Nitro for long runs and easy/recovery with the ability to pick up the pace for a little while. Of course, there are still the Magnify Nitro 2 and ForeverRun which are in the highly-cushioned easy/recovery category. The MagMax Nitro is a very fun shoe. It's not a plush "plodder" like, say, the More v4/v5 or Gel Nimbus 25/26. I have logged almost 50 miles in the MagMax and I can say that it can do a lot of things very well. It's surprisingly propulsive and nimble for a shoe its heft and does not feel as heavy as its actual weight. It can run smooth at easy paces and can get exciting when picking up the pace and it transitions from one to the other quite seamlessly. I wasn't expecting this shoe to be as fun and be able to handle faster paces so well. It's also a lot more stable than I thought it'd be, which adds to the fun factor because I'm not as worried about tipping or rolling my ankles as I would with, say, the Prime X Strung and I can go fast downhill with confidence. Due to the wide platform and the PumaGrip outsole, the landings are very solid, secure, and reassuring. The comfort and fit of the upper are excellent. I went TTS with the MagMax and the fit is perfect after having gone up half-size with the DN2, DNE2, VN2, and ForeverRun due to their narrow forefoot and toe-box. I went TTS with DN3 and that worked out perfect as well, so Puma obviously listened to too-narrow complaints and made some fine adjustments that made the new shoes fit better with standard width foot sizes. Wide-footed runners may still find the fit a bit narrow, but I think most runners will find the fit of the MagMax roomy enough. It's fairly breathable. It's been consistently in the 100-degree F range (37C) in SoCal where I live this summer and the breathability of this has been fine. The Nitro midsole of the MagMax is supposed to be PEBA-based and what was called 'Nitro Elite' in last year's DNE2 and DN2. This year's 'Nitro Elite' is Aliphatic TPU on the DNE3 and Fast-R 2. It's not the same as the 'Nitro' on last year's Magnify Nitro 2 and ForeverRun. It's somewhat confusing and there have been many back-and-forth about this, but the Running Warehouse people confirmed this with Puma and posted on their YT video about this shoe. In any case, the foam feels great - very well balanced and it can feel soft or firm depending on the pace and the amount of energy you put into it. It's a little firmer than I expected, which is a good thing because it feels very responsive with a quick rebound. It's not a marshmallow kind of feel at all. It has a more dense "chewiness" type of feel to it that's nice when picking up the pace. As for the comparison to the Superblast 1/2, I didn't try the OG but recently got the 2 and love it. To me, it's a different kind of shoe from the MagMax even though they are in the same max-stack category. The SB2 is significantly lighter and also firmer, making it more ideal than the MagMax for faster paces, tempo/threshold runs, intervals, and even races while being very protective underfoot. It can work fine as a daily trainer for mixed runs for runners who prefer a slightly firmer feel and ride and it works fine for easy paces as well although the MagMax definitely beats it in that area. The MagMax is bouncier and more fun for the easy runs and can be exciting for a while for faster paces, but it's not as good at maintaining such paces over longer distances as the SB2. But if you want comfort and fun without thinking about paces too much over 15~20 miles, then MagMax is the better choice. I find that the SB2 and MagMax are complementary with different feel, ride, and usage cases. If you had to choose one, I think it will just come down to personal preferences of choosing SB2's light/firm/fast and workhorse type of character or MagMax's soft yet balanced, bouncy yet smooth, and more fun character. Tough call. Just get both! Haha.
@@run-are Haha. Some people have been telling me this but I don't think I'd have the time and energy for it since I have a job and I run anywhere from 70 to 100 miles per week. I'm fine with offering some thoughts when I can on YT and RSG sub on Reddit. Thank you and just want to say I really enjoy your reviews!
I'm so in love with this shoe! Slow, heavy runner with heel/midfoot strike. Agree with everything you said about this shoe. I was looking for a long run shoe for my slowest miles that didn't have a quick sand feel like my Nimbus25. It's a comfortable fun ride
Great initial impression as always. Been waiting for reviews to come out for this shoes. 1) How is the fit? (toebox inflare and heel padding) For reference I feel like DN2 toebox is pointing towards inside too much and the "shaping" of heel padding doesn't lock my heel. 2) Does the heel bevel set far back makes the heel contact the ground earlier and make the ride slappy? 3) How does it compare to the ride of Nimbus 26, Morev4?
@@tomasangelomena6866 the fit is TTS. It doesn't seem to point inwards like the DN2, very comfortable to me. It's a firmer, more bouncy ride than the shoes you mentioned.
I echo your last comments totally. Imagine if Puma used their Nitro Elite foam, toned down the amount of outsole and perhaps lightened their upper a tad, I think they would rival the Superblast 2 in terms of weight, performance and versatility. I'd love to see it.
If you can, compare it with the Puma Magnify Nitro 2 ! I wonder if the MagMax is overall better shoes besides the higher price and weight... Thanks for the video .
I am really enjoying the hoka mach x2, that I got last week, already 60km down. The magmax will launch quite late in Canada, perhaps next year by the time it is avlbl.
@@run-are I feel they are overall better than the speed 4, in responsiveness, more race oriented, attractive colorways albeit with being narrower fitting and not as durable of an outsole.
Looks promising for long runs, how does it compare with saucony hurricane 24? That's my fav for this category now. Also compare to maybe neo vista and sky ward
@@klipschs I am enjoying both the Hurricane and this shoe atm. Hurricane feels like the softer shoe with noticeable arch support. There's a bit of pop but feels sluggish compared to the MagMax. MagMax feels responsive with a quick rebound type bounce.
Great review! I'm a huge fan of the Puma ForeverRun Nitro and believe you are also. How does it compare to the Puma ForeverRun Nitro and the Puma Magnify? I've tried most of Puma's shoes and the ForeverRun is enough for myself.
It really is a superblast killer. it may not hit the top of range speed but is close to it and my legs feel amazing in it. Have almost 40 miles in mne and had it on a long run in the heat and humidity the other day and avg pace was 7.04 per mile.
I think Puma are changing what Nitro Foam and what Nitro Elite foam are. Originally Nitro was Nitrogen Infused supercritical EVA with Nitro Elite being Nitrogen Infused Pebax. Now Nitro Elite is aliphatic tpu. However, the Nitro Elite on the Deviate Nitro 3 (non elite) Is still the pebax version not the tpu type. Maybe Nitro might end up being pebax with Nitro elite being the tpu material. Who knows.....
@@iainbareham both feel very different. Balos is so soft and more bounce. Balos is more fun but the MagMax is the safer option being more stable. Depends what you want in a shoe?
Thanks for that. So if you could have one in your rotation what would be your pick? And out of interest! A cheeky question! Your recovery/ easy choice? Your daily choice? Your race choice?
That colorway is just my creation, I have been playing with effects and filters to get something different for the thumbnail. I'd love to see Puma release something like it! Feel free to send it to them and get them to start working on it 😂😂
I had been eyeing this shoe since early this year when the first photos were shown after TRE. Obviously, a good deal of hype and expectations were built up along the way, and this is one of those rare shoes that exceeds such expectations - for me, at least. But, I have to say, other shoes have done the same this year. So many great shoes coming out now and all the brands are competing hard and making the right adjustments and choices during the development of new models. Overall, though, Puma has really put it together this year with a very solid lineup that is easy to understand - Deviate Nitro Elite 3 being the top-end racer, Deviate Nitro 3 being the tempo workout shoe, Velocity Nitro 3 the workhorse daily trainer to eat up the easy miles, and the MagMax Nitro for long runs and easy/recovery with the ability to pick up the pace for a little while. Of course, there are still the Magnify Nitro 2 and ForeverRun which are in the highly-cushioned easy/recovery category.
The MagMax Nitro is a very fun shoe. It's not a plush "plodder" like, say, the More v4/v5 or Gel Nimbus 25/26. I have logged almost 50 miles in the MagMax and I can say that it can do a lot of things very well. It's surprisingly propulsive and nimble for a shoe its heft and does not feel as heavy as its actual weight. It can run smooth at easy paces and can get exciting when picking up the pace and it transitions from one to the other quite seamlessly. I wasn't expecting this shoe to be as fun and be able to handle faster paces so well. It's also a lot more stable than I thought it'd be, which adds to the fun factor because I'm not as worried about tipping or rolling my ankles as I would with, say, the Prime X Strung and I can go fast downhill with confidence. Due to the wide platform and the PumaGrip outsole, the landings are very solid, secure, and reassuring.
The comfort and fit of the upper are excellent. I went TTS with the MagMax and the fit is perfect after having gone up half-size with the DN2, DNE2, VN2, and ForeverRun due to their narrow forefoot and toe-box. I went TTS with DN3 and that worked out perfect as well, so Puma obviously listened to too-narrow complaints and made some fine adjustments that made the new shoes fit better with standard width foot sizes. Wide-footed runners may still find the fit a bit narrow, but I think most runners will find the fit of the MagMax roomy enough. It's fairly breathable. It's been consistently in the 100-degree F range (37C) in SoCal where I live this summer and the breathability of this has been fine.
The Nitro midsole of the MagMax is supposed to be PEBA-based and what was called 'Nitro Elite' in last year's DNE2 and DN2. This year's 'Nitro Elite' is Aliphatic TPU on the DNE3 and Fast-R 2. It's not the same as the 'Nitro' on last year's Magnify Nitro 2 and ForeverRun. It's somewhat confusing and there have been many back-and-forth about this, but the Running Warehouse people confirmed this with Puma and posted on their YT video about this shoe. In any case, the foam feels great - very well balanced and it can feel soft or firm depending on the pace and the amount of energy you put into it. It's a little firmer than I expected, which is a good thing because it feels very responsive with a quick rebound. It's not a marshmallow kind of feel at all. It has a more dense "chewiness" type of feel to it that's nice when picking up the pace.
As for the comparison to the Superblast 1/2, I didn't try the OG but recently got the 2 and love it. To me, it's a different kind of shoe from the MagMax even though they are in the same max-stack category. The SB2 is significantly lighter and also firmer, making it more ideal than the MagMax for faster paces, tempo/threshold runs, intervals, and even races while being very protective underfoot. It can work fine as a daily trainer for mixed runs for runners who prefer a slightly firmer feel and ride and it works fine for easy paces as well although the MagMax definitely beats it in that area. The MagMax is bouncier and more fun for the easy runs and can be exciting for a while for faster paces, but it's not as good at maintaining such paces over longer distances as the SB2. But if you want comfort and fun without thinking about paces too much over 15~20 miles, then MagMax is the better choice. I find that the SB2 and MagMax are complementary with different feel, ride, and usage cases. If you had to choose one, I think it will just come down to personal preferences of choosing SB2's light/firm/fast and workhorse type of character or MagMax's soft yet balanced, bouncy yet smooth, and more fun character. Tough call. Just get both! Haha.
@@alexkhan2000 thanks for the detailed rundown there! You need to start doing your own reviews on RUclips! You would be great
@@run-are Haha. Some people have been telling me this but I don't think I'd have the time and energy for it since I have a job and I run anywhere from 70 to 100 miles per week. I'm fine with offering some thoughts when I can on YT and RSG sub on Reddit. Thank you and just want to say I really enjoy your reviews!
@@alexkhan2000 thanks!!
I'm so in love with this shoe! Slow, heavy runner with heel/midfoot strike. Agree with everything you said about this shoe. I was looking for a long run shoe for my slowest miles that didn't have a quick sand feel like my Nimbus25. It's a comfortable fun ride
@@jamisons2504 great to hear the MagMax works for you!
I LOVE this shoe. I bought the black colour way.... it's incredibly bouncy, and reminds me a lot of the Hoka Skyward X.
@@huss2172 thanks for the comment
Great initial impression as always. Been waiting for reviews to come out for this shoes.
1) How is the fit? (toebox inflare and heel padding) For reference I feel like DN2 toebox is pointing towards inside too much and the "shaping" of heel padding doesn't lock my heel.
2) Does the heel bevel set far back makes the heel contact the ground earlier and make the ride slappy?
3) How does it compare to the ride of Nimbus 26, Morev4?
@@tomasangelomena6866 the fit is TTS. It doesn't seem to point inwards like the DN2, very comfortable to me. It's a firmer, more bouncy ride than the shoes you mentioned.
I echo your last comments totally. Imagine if Puma used their Nitro Elite foam, toned down the amount of outsole and perhaps lightened their upper a tad, I think they would rival the Superblast 2 in terms of weight, performance and versatility. I'd love to see it.
@@thedccrew8926 It would be an amazing shoe! Let's hope Puma are already looking into it
Taking on the Superblast with Liquid Hot "Magma"X 😋
@@mjcau thanks for the comment
If you can, compare it with the Puma Magnify Nitro 2 !
I wonder if the MagMax is overall better shoes besides the higher price and weight...
Thanks for the video .
@@MiracleWarriors I haven't had a chance to run in the magnify nitro 2 yet.
I am really enjoying the hoka mach x2, that I got last week, already 60km down. The magmax will launch quite late in Canada, perhaps next year by the time it is avlbl.
How do you find the Mach X 2? It looks tempting to test out
@@run-are I feel they are overall better than the speed 4, in responsiveness, more race oriented, attractive colorways albeit with being narrower fitting and not as durable of an outsole.
Looks promising for long runs, how does it compare with saucony hurricane 24? That's my fav for this category now. Also compare to maybe neo vista and sky ward
@@klipschs I am enjoying both the Hurricane and this shoe atm. Hurricane feels like the softer shoe with noticeable arch support. There's a bit of pop but feels sluggish compared to the MagMax. MagMax feels responsive with a quick rebound type bounce.
Great review!
I'm a huge fan of the Puma ForeverRun Nitro and believe you are also. How does it compare to the Puma ForeverRun Nitro and the Puma Magnify? I've tried most of Puma's shoes and the ForeverRun is enough for myself.
@@joey.chavez333 thanks! This one has more bounce, pop, more rockered, much bigger stack and overall a more enjoyable ride than the ForeverRun.
@@joey.chavez333 I haven't run in the Magnify as yet
please do a review of the magnify nitro 2
It really is a superblast killer. it may not hit the top of range speed but is close to it and my legs feel amazing in it. Have almost 40 miles in mne and had it on a long run in the heat and humidity the other day and avg pace was 7.04 per mile.
@@karls8989 I think the ride is more fun than the SB2. Thanks for the comment
"It really is a superblast killer." Yeah... No... She's a wee bit chubby to be worried about that comparison.
@@run-aremagnify nitro a good in-between option imo. Plenty of protection but can go a little faster
I think Puma are changing what Nitro Foam and what Nitro Elite foam are. Originally Nitro was Nitrogen Infused supercritical EVA with Nitro Elite being Nitrogen Infused Pebax. Now Nitro Elite is aliphatic tpu. However, the Nitro Elite on the Deviate Nitro 3 (non elite) Is still the pebax version not the tpu type. Maybe Nitro might end up being pebax with Nitro elite being the tpu material. Who knows.....
@@kevinscott4938 thanks for the insight
Nitro was and is supercritical (nitrogen) TPEE and was never EVA.
Hi, thanks for the videos. This or the Balos?
@@iainbareham both feel very different. Balos is so soft and more bounce. Balos is more fun but the MagMax is the safer option being more stable. Depends what you want in a shoe?
Thanks for that. So if you could have one in your rotation what would be your pick?
And out of interest! A cheeky question!
Your recovery/ easy choice?
Your daily choice?
Your race choice?
@@iainbareham Novablast 4 - Daily
Alphafly 3 - Race
Balos - Easy
Neo Vista - Long run
Strong line up, thanks, stay safe.
Sorry, forgot to ask. So if you could have one, Balos over the MagMax then?
Is the MagMax Nitro another model, aside from the MagMax? First time I see this among the other reviews. Looks like a MagMax to me.
@@fecardonano this is the MagMax Nitro
What will they be like for walking whole day only?
@@TomAnatoly they feel great to walk in. Would totally be comfortable all day.
@@run-are Thank you !!!
Can you compare the midsole softness between Superblast 2 & Magmax please
Who sells these in the yellow and purple colorway in the thumbnail? As a Lakers' fan I'd kill to get my hands on them. Anyone?
That colorway is just my creation, I have been playing with effects and filters to get something different for the thumbnail. I'd love to see Puma release something like it! Feel free to send it to them and get them to start working on it 😂😂
would u recommend this shoes if you underpronation
@@garethmorgan7474it depends with how much you under pronate. Chat to your local running store to be sure or go to a podiatrist to get assessed.
Why this over the Deviate Nitro 3?
Which store has the white pair?
can be my recovery run shoes?
@@PrinceAtcha-e6b it's perfect for recovery runs