For some time now there has been talk of shoes that are at the limit of what is legal, both in terms of carbon plates, cushioning or profiles. In this sense, the World Athletics Federation (World Athletics) has a series of very precise rules regarding footwear that guarantee equitable competition. Now a team from Puma’s Nitro laboratory has developed a sneaker without thinking about the limits.
The Fast-RB Nitro Elite is the result of a team, led by Romain Girard, PUMA’s Director of Innovation, who has sought the best possible performance in a sports shoe. It features foams galore and an upper designed to propel you forward with every step.
Initially, the first thing you notice, beyond the shape of the shoe, are the three plates used for propulsion. A pair of TPU plates closer to the ground and a carbon fiber plate that forms the chassis of the shoe. Furthermore, among them there are various densities of NITRO ELITE foam selected and mixed to make it the most bouncy shoe they have ever created.
This is the anatomy of the Fast-RB Nitro Elite “organ by organ”.
NitroFoam Elite foam is a thermoplastic foam with nitrogen that results in a very light shoe with a high rebound. This helps minimize energy loss with each stride, increasing efficiency and speed beyond 2% that the Nike Vaporfly promised.
Then there is the PWRPLATE it is a carbon fiber plate designed to stabilize the midsole and maximize energy transfer. The secret is in the superimposition of carbon layers that follows the anatomy of the foot and support.
The configuration gets 22% more energy storage and up to 46% more gross energy return compared to previous models, resulting in an average saving of 2 minutes and 28 seconds for a 3:30:00 marathoner and 1 minute and 23 seconds for a 2:30:00 marathoner.
The ULTRAWEAVE upper is 20% lighter than the material used in the little sisterssy is covered with custom PWRTAPE to wrap the foot and provide greater reactive capacity during running, with the added bonus that it is not a shoe with laces.
Why design a shoe that cannot be used in official competitions? First because it is possible, second because Puma has the experience of, among others, Usain Bolt, Sara Vaughn, Annie Frisbie, Dakotah Lindwurm (all Olympic or world medalists) and four of the 10 fastest marathoners in the United States, who have contributed with this design. And third, because The way to move toward a sub-two-hour marathon is to explore all options.