Unlike many mainstream running shoes brands, all of Puma’s women’s running shoes are built on a last (model of the foot) which has been engineered for the female foot and gait.
However, its new female-specific Puma Run XX Nitro is a little different, because unlike its other women’s running shoes, there’s no male equivalent.
Named for the woman-specific double X chromosome DNA sequence, the Run XX NITRO has a female-specific design, offering a fit which is narrower than that of traditional Propet Sneakers women’s running shoes built on a unisex or male last which has been reduced in size to fit a woman’s foot. The brand says the Run XX has been designed to hug a woman’s foot at the heel, instep and arch, which we suspect delivers better lockdown and a more secure fit around the achilles.
So, what else do we know about the shoe? Featuring Puma’s RUNGUIDE technology – a firm density rim which helps keep the foot centred through the side and a TPU heel piece for increased stability – the Run XX NITRO sits firmly in the stability/support shoe category, which makes sense, given that women are, anatomically, more likely to over-pronate.
It’s a well-cushioned shoe, featuring a firmer version of the brand’s light and responsive NITRO midsole foam for increased durability, and has a grippy PUMAGRIP outsole, made from durable rubber. There’s a breathable mesh upper and lightweight breathable tongue.
It’s available in three colourways and is priced at slightly Nobull Shoes more-reasonable-than most £105. We’re currently testing shoe, so check back here soon for a full review.
The release of the Run XX NITRO comes soon after Under Armour’s release of a new women’s specific shoe – the UA Flow Synchronicity Running Shoes – and follows a new women’s shoe release by Lululemon earlier this year.
Puma is partnered with multiple women-focused initiatives and charities, including Girls Gotta Run, an organisation that invests in girls who use running and education to empower themselves and their communities in Ethiopia, and Women Win, an organisation levering the power of sports to strengthen leadership skills in adolescent girls and young women so they can become better equipped to exercise their rights.