The PUMA MagMax NITRO is, as the name suggests, a maximum-cushioned running shoe and the brand's tallest and widest offering to date. PUMA has been rapidly expanding its shoe lineup since its return to making road running shoes in 2021, and the MagMax NITRO represents the brand's first serious foray into the maximalist, premium trainer category. Although PUMA's nomenclature for its midsole compounds is ambiguous, the NITRO foam in the MagMax appears to be the same that was previously branded as NITRO ELITE, and used in shoes like the PUMA Deviate NITRO Elite 2. The shoe promises (under the heel tab) to be Bouncy AF, although the MagMax's heavy weight can detract from the bounce. Despite all the cushioning underfoot, the PUMA Grip outsole gives the shoe a pronounced ground feel, which can feel harsh compared to other max cushioned trainers.
Our Verdict
The PUMA MagMax NITRO isn't built for racing, but it's a reasonable choice for runners just looking to finish a marathon without worrying about time. The deep cushioning will keep your legs protected throughout the marathon distance, but it's not light or streamlined enough to give any competitive advantage.
Deeply cushioned midsole.
Shoe provides decent stability and support over long distances.
Shoe feels bulky and clunky.
Bottom-heavy construction.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO would be a poor choice for 5K or 10K racing, as it's built for comfort over speed. Shorter races will expose the downsides of the shoe's maximum cushioning (namely, its heavy weight) without being long enough to reap the benefits of its protective ride.
Shoe feels bulky and clunky.
Bottom-heavy construction.
Despite the 'Bouncy AF' claim under the shoe's heel tab, the energy return from the PUMA MagMax NITRO is mediocre at best. The shoe is built like a tank, with a thick and clunky midsole that prioritizes protection over propulsion.
Midsole isn't as bouncy as promised.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO has fantastic cushioning. The deep stack of foam underfoot keeps legs feeling fresh throughout longer runs and protected even during harder efforts.
Deeply cushioned midsole.
Foam is very soft underfoot.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO offers decent stability, especially for a max stacked trainer. Unsurprisingly, the soft midsole doesn't provide the firmest foundation, but the shoe's wide platform helps to compensate for its tall stack height.
Wide platform balances tall stack height.
Firmer forefoot provides some stability during toe-off.
Foam is very soft underfoot.
Performance Usages
Changelog
- Updated Oct 28, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.9, which adds a Forefoot Long Run Cushioning test to our performance section. Read more in our changelog.
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Updated Oct 24, 2025:
We updated the Compared Summary, Pros & Cons, Lateral Stability, Energy Return, Cushioning, Forefoot Cushioning, and Heel Firmness boxes to align with the latest test bench and refreshed the Popular Running Shoe Comparisons section to keep the review accurate.
- Updated Oct 20, 2025: We've converted this review to Test Bench 0.8.2, which updates our methodology for the impact force range used in our compression tests to improve their accuracy. This also affects all usage and performance usage boxes using those compression tests as score components.
- Updated Aug 28, 2025: Review published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We bought and tested the PUMA MagMax NITRO in men's US size 9, as indicated on the label for our pair. The colorway shown here is PUMA Black-Galactic Gray, and the shoe is available in several other colorways, including PUMA White-PUMA Silver for both men and women. The men's version is also available in Lapis Lazuli-Nitro Blue, PUMA Black-PUMA White-Cool Dark Gray, Speed Blue-Mint Melt, and Warm White-Gold Moon. The women's version is available in Mint Melt-Speed Blue, Nitro Blue-Lapis Lazuli, Cool Weather-PUMA Silver, and Gold Moon. Wide versions aren't available for this model. The design section applies only to the exact pair we tested, but we expect other sizes to perform similarly.
Popular Running Shoe Comparisons
The PUMA MagMax NITRO occupies an interesting position within the growing maximalist trainer category: its cushioning is more protective than similarly stacked shoes, like the ASICS SUPERBLAST 2, Brooks Glycerin Max, or HOKA Bondi 9, but it's firmer than a pure recovery shoe, like the HOKA SKYWARD X. The MagMax is heavier and less responsive than a maximalist super trainer like the SUPERBLAST 2, but much bouncier and more nimble than the plush Brooks Glycerin Max. In sum, the MagMax NITRO is a versatile, max-cushioned trainer that does a decent job at several things, but isn't exactly optimized for one particular use.
Within PUMA's current offering, the MagMax NITRO stands at the deep end of the daily trainer range, as its most cushioned running shoe. It's significantly heavier than even the PUMA Magnify NITRO 3, a modern trainer and the MagMax's closest companion in the brand's lineup, with the expected tradeoffs in energy return and responsiveness. It sits even higher and is much more cushioned than the PUMA Velocity NITRO 4, the brand's classic daily trainer.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best running shoes, as well as the best long-distance running shoes and the best shoes for running a marathon.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO and the Brooks Glycerin Max are both maximalist trainers, but this Brooks shoe is the more maxed-out of the two. It is stacked higher and weighs in heavier, so it's unsurprising that the MagMax feels more nimble and bouncy. Both shoes are good options for everyday miles, but the Glycerin Max is a better choice for easy, recovery runs, whilst the MagMax would be better suited for runs that include some strides or even some light tempo work.
At first glance, the Puma MagMax NITRO and the ASICS SUPERBLAST 2 look like similar shoes, aimed at similar uses: both are unplated, deeply-cushioned trainers with tall stack heights. The MagMax feels ready to roll, straight out of the gate, whereas the SUPERBLAST 2 requires a bit of time to break in. The SUPERBLAST 2 is arguably the faster of the two shoes, as it returns energy better, but some runners find the MagMax more forgiving at faster paces. The MagMax NITRO is a sturdier and more cushioned shoe, so it might be the better choice for heavier runners.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO and the PUMA Magnify NITRO 3 are a bit like siblings who have developed their own separate personalities. The MagMax is by far the more cushioned shoe, with a taller stack height, but a less pronounced heel-to-toe drop. In addition to a thicker midsole, it also has a more extensive PUMA GRIP outsole, giving it more grip and ground feel. The Magnify NITRO 3 is the lighter and more energetic of the two, and the combination of better stability and bounciness makes it better suited to varying paces in long runs than its sibling shoe.
The PUMA MagMax NITRO and PUMA Deviate NITRO 3 occupy largely different ends of the spectrum of run types, with only some overlap. The MagMax is primarily intended for casual, everyday runs, with some variation in pace. The Deviate NITRO 3 is built for faster tempo and interval workouts, so the only overlapping use case for these two shoes would be strides or fartleks. Even there, the experience these two shoes provide is quite different: where the MagMax is soft, the Deviate NITRO 3 is snappy. While the MagMax attains stability through a wide platform, the Deviate NITRO 3 puts a carbon plate in a much narrower midsole. The two shoes are thus good training companions for runners who like PUMA's fit and ground feel.
We've recently started buying and testing running shoes with a very data-oriented approach. While we're just getting started, our methodology already has dozens of tests to help you make the right purchasing decision for your needs. Not only do we use high-end equipment to gather objective data, but we also order multiple sizes of the same shoes for team members to be able to log in miles. This real-world testing is done at various paces and conditions, and with different types of workouts, to cover all the bases. This allows us to verify our results and ensure they align with what you might feel with a specific pair.
Test Results
The PUMA MagMax NITRO is bulky, owing to both its deep cushioning and wide platform. For similarly stacked shoes, though, it sits within the normal weight range, albeit slightly on the heavier side.
This shoe's sizing is similar to other PUMA shoes, running slightly long; however, it's not quite as narrow as the brand's other models.
Unlike most other current PUMA shoes, the PUMA MagMax NITRO has a fully gusseted tongue, which avoids the constricting feeling of those other shoes.
The heel returns energy poorly, although better than some other max cushioned shoes, like the Brooks Glycerin Max or the ASICS GLIDERIDE MAX. Still, runners should not expect much rebound on heel landings in the MagMax.
The forefoot returns energy much better than the heel, but the responsiveness is still sub-par. This shoe still outperforms max-cushioned shoes like the Brooks Glycerin Max or the ASICS GLIDERIDE MAX, but lags behind maximalist super trainers like the ASICS SUPERBLAST 2 or HOKA Mach X 2.
The cushioning under the heel is excellent. The PUMA MagMax NITRO is built to provide comfort and support, and this is where it shines, easily absorbing impact from heel strikers.
The cushioning under the forefoot is simply outstanding, and the NITRO foam combines with the wide base to provide gentle landings for mid- and forefoot strikers.
As we would expect from a max-cushioned shoe, it's not very firm in the heel. It stiffens up somewhat when force is applied, but it's still less firm overall than the ASICS SUPERBLAST 2 or Brooks Glycerin Max.
The forefoot is considerably stiffer than the heel, providing a satisfactory platform for toe-offs. This rigidity in the forefoot allows the shoe to turn over quickly if you want to push the pace a bit.