In my nerdy mind, nothing beats an old fashion comparison of two similar shoes. We brought the adidas Adizero Boston 11 and the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 to the track. Two great daily trainers that combine durability and speed.
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The adidas Boston 11 and the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 share similar traits, like a plate (or rods), and a duel density midsole with high-end super foam, and they both are some of the most versatile daily trainers from their respective companies. But which one should you choose?
The Boston line has been a huge success for a lot of years, and according to our own numbers, sales skyrocketed with the emergence of the Boston 10, a new type of Boston with a higher stack and composite rods.
Puma has been off the grid for a couple of years, but last year they came back in with a bang, and the Deviate Nitro 2 is a great example of the awesome shoes they are able to make now.
adidas Adizero Boston 11
At first when you put the Boston 11 on you will notice a very thin upper, which is a little bit firm and not as stretchy. I found it to be a comfortable upper, but it needed a bit of adjusting for it to fit perfectly. But that is generally what I expect from an upper with less flex.
The midsole changed drastically in the adidas Boston 10, and it was the same in the adidas Boston 11, with a very high stack, dual-density foam (both Lightstrike & Lightstrike pro), and carbon composite rods. It is a stiffer and quite firm midsole compared to how much stack it has, but this also makes it extremely stable without it feeling controlling in any way.
Because of the firmer midsole, the shoe feels a bit stiffer when running slowly. This is why I like to run faster paces when I'm wearing the adidas Boston 11. Even though it might not be a lightweight shoe compared to some tempo shoes, the Boston 11 really handles longer faster runs really well. Even something as fast as a 1k interval session is doable in the adidas Boston 11, so long as you can handle a bit more weight than what is normally present in a normal interval shoe.
Puma Deviate Nitro 2
The Puma upper is very light and breathable and has added power tape for some additional support on the inside of the foot. Overall, Emil likes how the shoe fits on the foot, and he generally hasn't had any issues at all with heel lockdown or anything else regarding the upper.
Even though there are a lot of similarities between the two shoes, Emil thinks the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 runs a bit differently. It is lighter, softer, and has a more snappy feel, it can handle faster paces and is also better at slower paces, but Emil emphasizes that he isn't using the Puma Deviate Nitro 2 for the slowest recovery runs. He likes it in a versatile mid-range from his normal cruise speed up to his marathon speed which is about 3:35 min/km (5:47 min/mile).
Which one should you choose?
It was obvious that we are talking about two different running sensations when comparing the adidas Boston 11 and the Puma Deviate Nitro 2. Both are versatile running shoes, but while the Boston 11 works better at faster paces, the Deviate Nitro 2 is better at mid-range paces and may be slightly more versatile as a daily trainer.
But if you want stability, don't let the tallness of the adidas Boston 11 fool you. It is stable and comfortable for those who also like looking out for their ankles.
In the end, it all comes down to if you want a softer ride of the Puma or a firmer ride of the adidas for your daily miles. Both shoes are working well and should be very versatile training companions for your everyday miles.
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