PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3
£260
UK RRP
Midsole to scale · mm · red dashes mark the 40mm road limit
- Weight
- 170 g
- men's US 9
- Stack
- 40 / 32 mm
- heel / forefoot · drawn above, against the 40mm line
- Drop
- 8 mm
- Plate
- carbon fibre
- Foam
- NITROFOAM Elite
- Stability
- demanding — rewards good form
- Competitive life
- ~240 km
- before the foam stops giving it back
- Built for
- 10K · Half · Marathon
Verdict
The most aggressive shoe on this list. The decoupled heel and exposed plate make it feel like it is actively throwing you forward.
■ Caution
That aggression cuts both ways — it is demanding on the calves and unforgiving if your form breaks down. Best suited to genuine forefoot strikers.
Straight answers
- Is the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 legal for road racing?
- Yes. The PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 measures exactly 40mm — precisely on the World Athletics 40mm road limit, legal with no margin. The limit only binds Applicable Competitions (championship, elite and record-eligible fields); most club and local races apply no shoe rule at all.
- How much does the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 weigh?
- 170g in a men's US 9 (UK 8), by the manufacturer's stated figure. Weight moves roughly 3.5% per UK size step, so a UK 11 weighs materially more than the spec sheet says.
- What is the stack height and drop of the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3?
- 40mm at the heel and 32mm at the forefoot — a 8mm drop. A carbon-fibre plate runs through NITROFOAM Elite.
- How long does the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 last?
- We estimate roughly 240km of competitive life — the point at which the foam has degraded enough that you are no longer getting the benefit you paid £260 for, not the point at which the shoe falls apart. Spread over race cycles, that is what the cost-per-race figure on this page is built from.
- Is the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 good for a marathon?
- Yes — the marathon is one of the distances it is built for (10k, half marathon and marathon). The most aggressive shoe on this list. The decoupled heel and exposed plate make it feel like it is actively throwing you forward.
Legality by event
Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 at 40mm · every panel drawn to one scale
Road racing
40mm · 0.0 clear
Track events
20mm · 20.0 over
Field events
20mm · 20.0 over
Cross country (spiked shoes)
20mm · 20.0 over
Cross country (non-spiked)
40mm · 0.0 clear
Race walking
40mm · 0.0 clear
Mountain and trail
no limit
Drawn from the manufacturer’s stated stack height, which is not the measurement World Athletics takes — the rule is measured on a men’s US 8.5 sample, and larger sizes may legally exceed it. An indication, not a ruling. Limits bind Applicable Competitions; most club and local races apply no shoe rule at all. What that means in practice.
Reading — what would the Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 save you?
Time bought back
−3:06 – 4:26
Off 3:45:00, that lands you at 3:40:34 on the optimistic end.
- Per race
- £69
- ~3.8 races in the foam
- Per second
- £0.30
- whole-life basis
- Sticker
- £260
- UK recommended retail
Economy gain 3.5–4.7% v. a traditional flat, adjusted for pace and your current shoes. Full method.
Manufacturer-stated specs unless marked estimated · last reviewed 2026-09-04 · prices are UK RRP; check the retailer for the live figure.