PUMA Men Voyage Nitro Gore-Tex Running Shoes

Product Information

The upper felt rigid, and my feet must be close to the same as Mike’s, as I experienced the exact same issue with a creasing on the top that pushes against my feet. After some more miles, be it running or walking, the upper gained some stretch, and although still existing, this crease was not an issue anymore on following runs. Allows the lugs to move independently with the ground for best traction on multi-terrain and in multiple weather conditions Jacob : The Voyage Nitro GTX and the Endorphin Trail are in the same category with bouncy foam, max cushion, a rolling ride, high stability, and good road performance. Though it is lighter, the Endorphin Trail feels bulker. The fit of both is comfortable but the Endorphin Trail is higher volume and looser—it is less secure than the Voyage but would probably fit wider feet better. The Endorphin Trail is a fun shoe but I found the wet traction unacceptably bad. Combined with the less secure fit, the Endorphin Trail is a less performant shoe than the Voyage and I would prefer the Voyage for all uses. Just like Jacob, I’ve also used it for lots of walking (dog walks for that matter) and they’re also very comfortable for that use, which is not always the case with trail running shoes (Endorphin Trail for instance is much less comfortable in that use). But as miles piled up, the midsole started to reveal itself and proved to work very nicely. The way-too-soft Nitro Foam,which would be inadequate for a trail running shoe, is cradled in the firmer PFilte, which stabilizes the whole thing and creates a nice compromise.

Puma Running Voyage Nitro GTX Multi Tester Road Trail Run: Puma Running Voyage Nitro GTX Multi Tester

Jacob : The Voyage GTX replaced the Cascadia as a daily wear (dog walk/adventure, hiking) shoe for me this fall. I like it more than the Cascadia in almost every way. Though they are very similar in weight, the Cascadia feels more like a tank and is much stiffer, both above and below the foot. The Cascadia is roomier and boxier in the toebox which is a major difference and for some foot shapes would be critical to comfort. For my medium width foot it leads to the Cascadia being not as secure. The Cascadia is also not as warm as the Voyage which is overall a negative for me as I use GTX shoes for winter and don’t find the Voyage to be too warm. Traction of the Voyage is better in all conditions and the ride is more fluid and usable on pavement where the Cascadia feels far too robust. I don’t see this shoe as a racing shoe so many of my runs were steady endurance workouts where 80% of the run was a jog and the other 20% was hiking up steep terrain. I’d definitely feel comfortable wearing this shoe for marathon distance races or longer if the elevation change is minimal. With the Voyage Nitro, Puma has managed to create a really great trail experience, while offering decent protection against the elements. The shoe is not perfect, but it sure creates one hell of a start to their Nitro trail range.However, there’s one part of the outsole that raises concern - right in the centre of the heel of the foot the midsole is left exposed by an absence of outsole, only midsole. Even though the surrounding Pumagrip raises this part off the ground, I would have preferred it covered.

Puma Voyage Nitro 2 GORE-TEX Mens Trail Running Shoes - Black Puma Voyage Nitro 2 GORE-TEX Mens Trail Running Shoes - Black

Puma provides a nice chunk of curled up outsole for the toe cap to protect the front toe area, with extra plastic here around the toes on the uppers. Mike P (10.0): (Xodus 10) Xodus are surprisingly slightly heavier but run much better and are especially adept in more technical terrain. Puma may have a slight edge in forefoot protection, but that’s about it. Jeremy: As I stated before, the first run in the shoes was really not enjoyable: I felt lots of pressure around both pinky toes, and, being my first GTX shoe, my feet were overheating, despite the ~6-7°C (42-45F) temperatures. Jacob : have been following along with Puma’s recent excellence in the road running shoe realm (such as the Deviate Nitro Elite), but had not tried any Puma Nitro shoe myself. The Voyage Nitro GTX is a Gore-Tex waterproof high-cushion trail shoe which uses Puma’s modern, low density, high-rebound Nitro midsole foam which is cradled by a firmer material called PFlite. It is rare that the first shoe I run in from a brand is a heavy waterproof trail shoe. However, due to where I live in Maine, I have been using a Gore-Tex waterproof shoe for daily wear for the past few weeks and from this time of year (mid fall) all through winter every year. Through fall, winter, and spring, I wear a waterproof trail shoe while out of the house for walking my dog, going to the store, exploring, and other similar things to keep my feet warmer and dry. Thus the Voyage Nitro GTX came in for testing at a great time. Jeremy: The Xodus was a very pleasant surprise from Saucony - and I actually liked it more than the Endorphin Trail. The shoe runs way lighter than its actual weight, cushioning is nice, responsive and covers a wide range of paces, from easy ones to tempo, where the Puma lags behind due to its weight and a heel-loaded feeling. The upper does not include any modern bells and whistles but just works, and the traction is second to none. It won’t be as cold-protective as the Voyage GTX, of course, but save from that specific case, I find it to better match my taste.

Pages

I didn’t notice it at first but after a while taking them out, I noticed how similar the upper was in design to the Deviate Nitro. From the toe, the toe box angle, lateral and medial, heel shape and even the basis of the lacing all have the same design ethos. It’s not a copy-paste, but rather a similar approach. The toe box is quite a bit more narrow and shallow than other trail shoes. There was a fair amount of discomfort on my toes as I descended the trail. I would steer runners away from these shoes if they live in areas with a lot of elevation. The shoe could be a toenail destroyer if you use them on the wrong trails. Jeremy: This is my go-to deep winter running shoe, when snow covers the trails, or when I go running at a ski area. It is more of an all-uses mountain shoe, clearly performance oriented, but not is specifically for running. The fit is really nice (actually there’s a Sense S/Lab upper inside the external cover), it rides a lot firmer than the Puma, and it gets an equally efficient traction and is maybe a bit more effective in snow thanks to its deeper lugs.