SCORE: 9/10

Weight: 10oz/284g, M US9

Heel drop: 10mm (4mm heel and 30mm forefoot

Shoe Type: Max-cushioned

Terrain: Road

Speed:  Fast and steady

Take Away

It is a max-cushioned running shoe but with a little bit of firmness. It is neither overly high-stacked nor marshmallow soft but feels somewhat like a daily trainer. It is nimble but not for racing. It perfectly fits marathon and half marathons due to its steady pace, cushioning, and excellent energy return.

Pros

• Snug-fitting upper
• Soft-cushioning
• Steady midsole response over a long distance
• Excellent for easy and recovery paces
• Lightweight
• Versatile
• A balance of firm and soft underfoot ride

Cons

Lacks squishy and marshmallow cushioning

Introduction

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 is a max-cushioned daily trainer for long runs and recovery training. It has an improved cushioning that features a full-length supercritical TPEE-based nitro foam which is soft and lightweight. It also has one of the most reliable PumaGrip outsole rubbers. The Magnify 2 is neutral with a heel drop of 10mm (40mm in the heel and 30mm in the forefoot). Still, the medial PWRTAPE does enough to offer support.

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 Upper Design and Fitting

The upper features a relatively dense engineered mesh, similar to the one in the Puma Liberate Nitro 2. The mesh has Puma's PWRTAPE overlay system to give the toe box structure and enhance support. The tongue is relatively padded and has a similar material to the one in the original Nike React Infinity.

The lockdown is excellent, thanks to the position of the power tape at the medial side of the shoe. The toe box is pretty broad and very accommodating. The toes can splay unrestricted. Most importantly, there are spaces where they need to be. Therefore, there are no hotspots.

The fitting is true-to-size for a narrow to medium-footed runner. My size nine does leave some space in the forefoot, so I can go half-size down, but I still see no issue with the sizing. I have also relied on the space in the forefoot that comes in handy at the last stretch of long runs.

The upper has good padding; not too little or plush, but enough. There is good padding around the heel collar to enhance lockdown and prevent irritation. Besides snug-fitting, the upper construction has a sock-like fitting design.

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 Midsole Design and Performance

The upper sits on a single-density midsole made of TPEE Nitro supercritical foam, a deviation from the dual-density midsole foam in the previous version. Puma Magnify v1 had nitro foam forming the upper layer and firm EVA foam forming the base just above the PumaGrip rubber outsole. Hence, the Puma Magnify 2 was significantly firm.

Unlike traditional nitro foam, the new TPEE Nitro Supercritical foam is soft with more rebound for a cushioned ride. It flexes more than the Nikes React foam, though it is not as marshmallowy soft as the Zoom X foam. The midsole is well stacked with a 10mm heel drop and plenty of cushioning in the forefoot stacking at 30mm, and the heel is 40mm. It is a balanced foam density for ground impact absorption and rebound.

The ride is soft but not squishy. It rides almost like Nike Invincible Run3, Saucony Triumph 20, and Asics Nimbus 25, but of course, the Magnify 2 is lighter despite the massive foam. The Magnify 2 is also more studier than the Nimbus 25.

Puma Magnify 2 cruises steadily and quite fast. I am amazed by how it does below 8 minutes per mile. The compression and bounce are noticeable when running. The heel-to-toe transition is seamless; thus, at a consistent pace, and the ride is nice and comfortable. It is more responsive than the ZoomX invincible run 2.

The large rubber slab in the heel goes unnoticed when running but does well to control pace variations across training.

Stability

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 rides stable. There is sufficient foothold due to the significant PWRTAPE in the midfoot and toe box. Hence, it suits someone who needs a slight amount of support, not stability.

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 is a Good Daily Trainer?

Due to the balance of softness and firmness coupled with a lightweight and high-energy return, Puma Magnify 2 is perfect for longer runs. They are comfortable enough to keep the feet fresh over a long distance running. Besides, the fitting is comfortable, and there is adequate aeration. It is also perfect as a daily training shoe, especially for easy runs or daily training skewed toward 

Besides long runs, I have done regular interval blocks with Puma Magnify Nitro 2 and posted a convincing performance. This shoe is more versatile than most max-cushioned shoes like Nimbus 25 due to its substantial firmness.

Outsole

Puma redesigned the outsole while retaining the reliable PumaGrip outsole rubber. Here, the rubber distribution is in four sections. The Puma Grip rubber or crush pad is positioned in the four corners, the most contact areas, leaving out a fair amount of exposed midsole foam. I understand that this layout is meant to give the shoe a significant amount of flex. It explains why Puma Magnify Nitro 2 feels nimble on foot. The rubber lugs aren't too deep but bite the surface to provide the right traction.

The Magnify 2 can handle a variety of terrain. Still, I avoid running with it on a light trail to protect the exposed rubber.

Verdict

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 can be used relatively as a daily trainer. It is also nimble for a pace day but not in any way a race shoe. Deviate Nitro Elite 2 is a better option for someone looking for a Puma racing shoe. It is carbon plated and highly propulsive.

Reveiwed by 

Mike Hardy. A 42 years old  Hardy has been running for more than 15 years. He runs for fitness purposes. He loves running short marathons, especially on Saturdays.