Puma Magnify Nitro 2 Review (2023)

Puma Magnify Nitro 2 Review: More of Everything
By David Salas

The Magnify line for Puma is relatively new. The original Magnify was the maximum cushioning training shoe for the company and used full NITRO foam throughout. The aim of the shoe is to provide maximum comfort for logging daily miles. The second version continues the legacy of the shoe by adding more NITRO foam and some durable rubber spots. 

Puma Magnify Nitro 2

Price: $140.00 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.1oz, 286g (men's size 9), 7.9oz, 224g  (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 39mm heel/ 29mm forefoot
Drop: 10mm
Classification: Max Cushion Daily Trainer

RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY

The Puma Magnify 2 Nitro is a daily training shoe in the maximum cushion category. The shoe uses the nitrogen infused NITRO midsole throughout the entirety of the shoe. The shoe uses a pretty traditional running shoe construction away from the current rocker profile. The Magnify 2 transitions surprisingly natural and gives a good platform to log daily miles in. 

PAST MODEL: Puma Magnify Nitro

FIT

The fit of the Magnify 2 is true to size in my Men's 9.5. This actually is one of the better fitting shoes of the year for me. The length is a tad long, but everything feels very cozy and fitted well. The upper received an update from the first version and now uses a knit material with some PWRTAPE reinforcement throughout the medial side of the shoe. The width is normal through the heel, midfoot, and forefoot. The knit upper has some stretch to it but holds its structure well. I had no issues with foot translation or navigating turns. There is a heel counter present that is lightly padded in the heel cup and has a more padded heel collar. Everything about this shoe just feels cozy in the fit. There is a little bit more material on this shoe than some others out there, but it holds the foot well and feels sock like through the forefoot. It does run on the warmer end, though I don't seem to have any issues on that front in these. 

PERFORMANCE

The Puma Magnify Nitro 2 is a daily training shoe for logging easy miles. This is certainly where the shoe shines the most. The shoe has a natural feel to it and is pretty comfortable regardless of terrain you are running on. The shoe uses the PUMAGRIP outsole that has done pretty well in some other models. It is no different in this model, as I felt the traction was quite trustworthy. I have taken this shoe mostly through roads, runnable trail, and softer bridle horse paths and it has done fine in all of those situations. The NITRO cushioning is soft but structured. The shoe does not feel mushy but has a little give to it. The resilience of the foam does give it some bounce, though this shoe is more of a cruiser. The heel is rounded centrally and there is a very small toe spring up front. The transitions in the shoe do feel like they let the runner choose the mechanics. The rounded heel gets you to the midfoot pretty quick and then it is all you. There isn't a hard rolling sensation through the forefoot.

Because of the combination of stack height and outsole the shoe feels decently stiff throughout. This does break in and the forefoot still has some flexibility once loaded through toe off. The 10mm drop felt consistent in this model. The overall transitions were really smooth but I did seem to have some consistent slapping as I transitioned into the forefoot. It isn't a deal breaker but I do think an 8mm drop might have a nicer feel for this one. Great job for an easy mileage shoe.

STABILITY

For having 40mm of NITRO foam, this shoe runs pretty stable. The traction underfoot is trustworthy and the upper security is solid. When running in the softer bridle trails there was some stretch to it, though it did just fine in every other situation. The sole flaring in the forefoot feels nice from a platform standpoint. The shoe also does a bucket design and has some sidewalls that transition out of the heel. Things feel decently guided and stable throughout. The softer foam and general construction still feels very neutral, but with some touches of stability. 

Thoughts as a DPT: Traditionally Modern? 
By David Salas

Today I wanted to discuss general trends in footwear. It wasn't that long ago when there was a plethora of 10mm+ drop training shoes both in the neutral and stability category. The market took a pretty large shift in the last 5 years towards higher stack heights and rockered designs. Most companies have followed suit with this concept while still having some reserves for the traditional designs.

The Puma Magnify 2 is right in the middle of the spectrum of traditional and modern. The shoe is moving towards a max cushion design and does use a relatively new foam that is compliant and soft. However, the shoe geometry and drop ratio still rides like a trainer from before the shift. Knowing that one shoe design is not for everyone, the Magnify 2 expands options for consumers. The market right now has so many max cushion shoes with a rocker profile. This isn't necessarily bad, and it is actually really good for the market share that covets that design, but it doesn't work for everyone. Some people really want to have a shoe with maximum cushioning without the rocker or plate. The Magnify gives them this. So with that noted... I guess we can say the Puma Magnify 2 is traditionally modern? 

RECOMMENDATIONS AND WHO THIS SHOE IS FOR

The Puma Magnify 2 is a daily training shoe for someone that does not want a rockered ride, but does like softer max cushion designs. The shoe runs surprisingly natural for how much foam there is. The shoe shines at daily paces and has enough security to run a little in runnable trails as well. The shoe is a workhorse trainer. Sitting at $140, there is a good amount of value here.

I think one thing to play with in the Magnify is the high drop ratio. Without having much toe spring in the front you are going to want the shoe to run natural. For the most part it does but does feel like you are falling forward a tad off the heel. I think an 8mm drop might make the transition feel a tad smoother. 

GRADING

David
Fit: A (If you want cozy this is cozy. Good dimensions throughout with surprisingly good security using a softer knit. Does run a little warmer and may be too much material for some.)
Performance: A- (Comfortable at daily paces with natural transitions. Still a tad slappy with the higher drop but very comfortable on road and runnable trail for eating large mileage)
Stability: B+ (Foam and general construction very neutral but outsole, sole flare, and sidewalls help balance.)
DPT/Footwear Science: B+ (A pretty traditional shoe design with a newer foam, but I'm glad options like this are still out there.)
Personal: A- (The shoe works well for my mechanics. The little bit of slapping is a manageable amount and I enjoy logging easy miles in these.)
Overall: B+/A- (A solid option in the maximum cushioning category, especially for those that don't want rockers)

SHOP | SUPPORT DOR

Puma Magnify Nitro 2

Price: $140.00 at Running Warehouse

Shop Men | Shop Women

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FURTHER READING: MAX CUSHION SHOES

Adidas Ultraboost Light - The 23rd ultraboost features Light Boost to help cut 2 oz from the trainer
Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 [Supermax Trainer] - Now a super maximal stacked shoe over 40mm!
Brooks Aurora BL - Brooks experimental project offers a look into the future
New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2 - Shoe reduces stack to make a nimble max ride
Nike InfinityRN 4 - ReactX highlights a big change to the shoe, along with deconstructing past models
Nike Invincible 3 - Updated to improve stability, this max cushion trainer evolves for v3
Salomon Aero Glide - Salomon brings max stack to their lineup with this new offering
Saucony Triumph 21- The excellent Triumph from last year gets a new upper that dials in the fit for an excellent overall ride
Saucony Triumph RFG - Triumph's sustainable sibling sacrifices almost nothing in the process
Skechers GORun Max Road 6 - A totally new redesign for this max cushion shoes

Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.

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Editor's Note: As always, the views presented on this website belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. This website should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist. If you are in the Los Angeles area, I am currently taking clients for running evaluations.

***Disclaimer: These shoes were provided free of charge in exchange for a review.  We thank the people at Puma for sending us a pair.  This in no way affected the honesty of this review. We systematically put each type of shoe through certain runs prior to review. For trainers and performance trainers, we take them on daily runs, workouts, recovery runs and a long run prior to review (often accumulating anywhere from 20-50 miles in the process). For racing flats we ensure that we have completed intervals, a tempo or steady state run as well as a warm-up and cool down in each pair prior to review. This systematic process is to ensure that we have experience with each shoe in a large variety of conditions to provide expansive and thorough reviews for the public and for companies. Our views are based on our extensive history in the footwear industry and years testing and developing footwear. If you are a footwear rep looking for footwear reviews or consultations on development, we are currently looking to partner with companies to assist, discuss and promote footwear models. Partnership will not affect the honesty of our reviews.

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