Skip to main content

PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX: Testing the World Championships Shoe

We put the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX to the test in desert heat.
The PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX.
The PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX. | Photos By Jordan

PUMA sponsored the HYROX World Championships. I watched this shoe take over the competition floor. The Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX became the shoe of the year for hybrid athletes, full stop.

As an ambassador, I got an early look at the new colorway built for Stockholm, weeks before it hit shelves. Teal, lavender, lime green, a nod to Sweden itself as much as the race.

This is a brand built on speed, the same brand that's put shoes on some of the fastest sprinters and footballers in the world. The World Cup is winding down. Track season is just hitting its stride. Right in the middle of that, this shoe carried the field in Stockholm.

PUMA at the HYROX World Championships

The PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX stacked on shelves.
The PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX. | PUMA

Jess Pettrow won the Mixed Relay with Team Australia for the second straight year. Joanna Wietrzyk broke the world record twice this season and closed out Stockholm with a second-place finish in the Women's Elite 15 Solo. Jake Williamson and Hunter McIntyre raced together in the Men's Elite15 Doubles, with Lucy Procter taking second for Great Britain in the women's doubles.

NITROFOAM Elite cushioning under a full-length carbon fiber PWRPLATE, a lightweight ULTRAWEAVE upper, and PUMAGRIP outsole underneath. Built to get you out front, designed to keep you there.

I didn't have a HYROX race day in front of me. So I put on my own HYROX competition down at Tempe Town Lake. Sprint intervals along the water. Stair repeats. Lunges. Burpees. Everyday mileage stacked on top of everyday weight training.

Testing the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX

Charles Flanagan runs in the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX.
Testing the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX. | Photos By Jordan

I opened up with a hard mile, then sprints along the water, stair repeats, lunges, and burpees into broad jumps. I did this over and over, probably about three sets. I didn't have a ball out there, but everything else I did to simulate my own type of HYROX circuit, meaning I did the intensity, the intervals, trying to put these shoes through the test.

The NITROFOAM Elite did the heavy lifting here. The deeper I got into mileage, the more I felt the foam absorbing impact instead of letting it travel up into my knees and hips, especially late in a session when joints are already taking on fatigue.

The weight sealed it. A men's size 10.5 comes in at roughly 7.4 ounces. Other shoes in this category run heavier and bulkier. This one felt closer to a sock than a shoe.

Shopping Information

Charles Flanagan wears the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX.
The PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX. | Photos By Jordan

Athletes and fans can purchase the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite HYROX for $240 in adult sizes at PUMA.com and the official HYROX shop. However, the new World Championships colorway is moving fast.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the running world and beyond.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published
Charles J. Flanagan
CHARLES J. FLANAGAN

Charles J. Flanagan is an ISSA Master Trainer, former national-level sprinter, and a featured model on America’s Next Top Model. With more than 20 years of experience in health, fitness, and performance coaching, he’s trained elite performers across industries—including Super Bowl champions, Grammy-nominated artists, and Hollywood talent. Known for his precision, presence, and purpose-driven philosophy, Charles is widely regarded as one of the most trusted voices in performance and longevity. As a writer, he’s contributed to Men’s Journal, Muscle & Fitness, and now Sports Illustrated, where he explores the intersection of human potential, wellness, and high performance.