Puma has launched the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3, its latest high-performance running shoe that the company claims is its most efficient, and fastest, to date. The shoe is making its official debut at the 2025 Boston Marathon this coming Monday.

The Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 weighs 170 grams, a staggering 95 g less than the previous model, and features a stack height of 40 mm at the heel and 32 mm at the forefoot, amounting to an 8 mm drop. It is engineered with Puma’s updated NITROFOAM Elite midsole and a restructured carbon-fibre PWRPLATE, aimed at improving propulsion. The breathable upper is made of ULTRAWEAVE - a lightweight woven material, and the outsole uses the reliable PUMAGRIP high-traction rubber compound.

This iteration is 95 grams lighter than the previous model and has been tested with elite athletes, including Olympian Rory Linkletter, who will wear the shoe in Boston. Puma states that the shoe’s expected lifespan is 300 kilometres.

If you are after a pair, Puma South Africa has noted that the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 will be available in limited quantities in South Africa from 4 May at a retail price of R7,999 at PUMA.com, PUMA V&A Waterfront and PUMA Sandton.

According to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 improves running economy by 3.15% compared to its predecessor, the Fast-R Nitro Elite 2. The findings suggest that the efficiency gains could lead to time improvements of more than four minutes for a runner completing a marathon in three hours. Moreover, it was found that the PUMA prototype is 3.15% to 3.62% more economical than the other popular advanced footwear technology (AFT) / “super shoe” models.

The same research team noted that the improvements were not only “substantial” but consistent across all 15 testparticipants, with even the least responsive runner showing a 1% gain. The study, which was funded by Puma, was conducted independently by the university’s Integrative Locomotion Lab, with the authors noting that Puma did not have any influence on the views presented in the article

The Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 will be worn by Puma-sponsored athletes at the upcoming London Marathon, as well as by 200 amateur runners participating in the brand’s Project3 initiative.