The Velocity Nitro 5 is a plateless shoe for people from those just starting to run to those who run every day. Men's is about 240g (27.0cm), sole 35/27mm, 8mm drop, official price JPY 16,500. Released Jul 9, 2026, with uses from ordinary running to the full marathon.
The Shoe Nerd's top pick
The amount of sole stays, and 1mm moved from the heel to the forefoot. It is a sensible fix for a daily shoe. The total of 62mm is the same as the previous model, and the official aim is forefoot cushioning feel and stability. When asked for a first pair, I name this one at PUMA.
Key points
- 10g lighter than the previous model, and the drop goes from 10mm to 8mm. The price is the same JPY 16,500
- The GORE-TEX version costs JPY 5,500 more than the standard, and the official weight is the same about 240g
- Width is men's 2E equivalent and 3E equivalent, women's D equivalent
Is the Velocity Nitro 5 worth buying: the price held and the contents moved
The Velocity Nitro 5 is a buy for people looking for 1 plateless daily pair. At about 240g it is 10g lighter than the previous model, the drop is 8mm, and the price was the same JPY 16,500.
It is a pair I want to show people who think shoes go up in price with each generation. Its position within PUMA is in the article on PUMA's 4 new 2026 shoes.
Velocity Nitro 5 weight and sole thickness? The official numbers
| Item | Velocity Nitro 5 |
|---|---|
| Release date | Jul 9, 2026 (announced Jul 2) |
| Official price | JPY 16,500 |
| Weight | Men's about 240g (27.0cm) / women's about 190g (23.5cm) |
| Stack height | Heel 35mm / forefoot 27mm |
| Drop (height difference) | 8mm |
| Width | Men's 2E equivalent (Wide is 3E equivalent) / women's D equivalent |
| Plate | None |
| Foam | NITROFOAM (full sole length; energy return 85%) |
| Outsole rubber | PUMAGRIP |
| Guideline distance | 800km |
| Colors | Men's 8 / women's 6 |
| Product number | 312944 (men's) / 312945 (women's) |
The official page's cushioning classification is "Medium." Next to the product name there is a "Japan Fit" tag. According to the press release, it continues from the previous model to use the last "JAPAN LAST," which gives room around the instep.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 11,999 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 16,500 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanVelocity Nitro 5 vs 4: what changed from the previous generation
| Nitro 4 (Jul 2025) | Nitro 5 (Jul 2026) | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (27.0cm) | About 250g | About 240g | −10g |
| Heel stack | 36mm | 35mm | −1mm |
| Forefoot thickness | 26mm | 27mm | +1mm |
| Drop | 10mm | 8mm | −2mm |
| Energy return | About 85% | 85% | 0 |
| Guideline distance | 800km | 800km | 0km |
| Suggested retail price | JPY 16,500 | JPY 16,500 | JPY 0 |
What is interesting is how the thickness moved. Adding heel and forefoot, the previous model was 62mm (36 + 26) and this one is 62mm (35 + 27). It did not increase the amount of sole, just moved 1mm from the heel to the forefoot. That shrank the drop by 2mm.
The press release explains the reason as raising forefoot cushioning feel to be more stable. The more of your landing time is on the forefoot, the more this 1mm comes under your own foot.
Weight can be followed across 3 generations. The Nitro 4 press release says "about 14g lighter than the previous model," so the Nitro 3 works out to about 264g (250 + 14). From there to this one is 24g, about 9% lighter (24 ÷ 264).
There are 2 changes that do not show in numbers: the sole base was widened, and the last was newly redesigned. The foam name and the 85% energy return were the same as the previous model.
Wide, GORE-TEX and HYROX versions compared (siblings)
The Velocity Nitro 5 has 3 versions with a word added after the name. I line up the Japan official men's pages.
Scroll the table sideways →
| Version | Width | Weight | Colors | Official price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard (312944) | 2E-equivalent | About 240g | 8 | JPY 16,500 |
| Wide (313690) | 3E equivalent | About 240g | 2 | JPY 16,500 |
| GORE-TEX (313044) | Regular | About 240g | 1 | JPY 22,000 |
Wide: Only the width becomes 3E equivalent; the weight, sole thickness and price notation are the same as the standard. The colors are 2 black-family ones. Someone unsure about width should give up on color and take this one.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 Wide
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 13,900 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 16,500 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanGORE-TEX: The upper becomes waterproof, windproof GORE-TEX. The official weight is the same about 240g as the standard. The price is about 33% higher than the standard (the formula is in the table note). The width notation is "regular," not "2E equivalent," so someone who likes the standard's width should look at that alone before deciding.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5 GORE-TEX
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 17,600 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 22,000 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanPUMA x HYROX: The press release introduces it as 1 pair from a collection released in order from Jun 18, 2026, a "model combining comfort and stability." The official page's use is "training." What differs from the standard is that, as written, a reinforcing tape called PWRTAPE sits on the upper. The official online store showed sold out on the day I checked.
For the JPY 1,100 more than the standard, the HYROX edition gets reinforcing tape and the HYROX color and name. Which to choose is something you can decide by preference.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA x HYROX Velocity Nitro
Lowest price on Rakuten Ichiba: JPY 17,600 (as of 10/13). Prices change daily.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaThe generation before also had a HYROX edition: the "Velocity Nitro 4 HYROX" from the Jan 2026 collection. If you find a HYROX-named one in a store, check whether the number in the product name is 4 or 5.
What I like
You can choose width, so fit is easy to match. Men's is 2E equivalent and 3E equivalent, women's D equivalent. The equally plateless Deviate Pure Nitro had only "regular" for men's.
Forefoot cushioning grew, toward a more stable run. Moving 1mm from the heel to the forefoot is for forefoot cushioning feel and stability. With an 8mm drop, the height relationship matches all 3 plated Deviate shoes.
No parts dropped. The sole rubber is the same PUMAGRIP as the race-oriented Elite 4, and the same NITROFOAM as the Deviate Nitro 4 runs the full length.
About JPY 21 per km. 16,500 ÷ 800 = JPY 20.6. Of the 5 PUMA models lined up in the article on Deviate Nitro differences, it was the lowest number.
Things to watch
There is no plate. The sole is 35mm too, 3 to 5mm thinner than the 3 Deviate shoes. The official cushioning classification is "Medium," a step different from the Deviate Pure Nitro written "Max."
Compared with the Pure Nitro, it is 20g heavier (240 − 220). The thinner one is the heavier one. It is not a shoe to choose for lightness.
If you like the previous model's feel, watch the drop. The 2mm from 10mm to 8mm was the biggest change this time in the numbers.
Who is it for?
It fits people just starting to run and people looking for a daily pair. It is a shoe that takes a wide range, from people starting out to habitual runners. It also fits those with wide feet who had few shoes to choose from.
To use a plate's rebound in races, the Deviate Nitro 4; for sole thickness, the Pure Nitro fits better. If your Nitro 4 is under 800km, wearing it out first is still in time (a gap of 10g and 2mm).
Price and where to buy
| Model | Official price | Rakuten price range |
|---|---|---|
| Velocity Nitro 5 | JPY 16,500 | JPY 11,999–16,500 |
| Velocity Nitro 5 Wide | JPY 16,500 | JPY 13,900–16,500 |
| Velocity Nitro 5 GORE-TEX | JPY 22,000 | JPY 17,600–22,000 |
| PUMA x HYROX Velocity Nitro 5 | JPY 17,600 | JPY 17,600 |
| Velocity Nitro 4 (previous generation) | JPY 16,500 (at release) / JPY 9,999 (out of stock) | JPY 8,990–16,500 |
There are 2 ways to buy. Someone who wants the 8mm drop and 10g of lightness takes the Nitro 5. Someone content with the 10mm drop is fine with the Nitro 4 as long as stores still have it. The sole rubber, foam name and 800km guide are the same.
On Rakuten, look at the "5" and "4" in the product name and the words "Wide," "GORE-TEX" and "HYROX" so you do not mix up the versions.
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 5
The lowest price on Rakuten was JPY 11,999 (as of 10/13). It ranges up to JPY 16,500 depending on the shop. Prices move daily. Try shoes on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit differs by brand, so read the shop's return and exchange terms before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Super Sports XEBIOSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping Japan
Image: Rakuten Ichiba
PUMA Velocity Nitro 4 (previous generation)
Lowest price on Rakuten is JPY 8,990 (as of 10/13), ranging up to JPY 16,500 depending on the shop. Prices change daily. Shoes are best tried on in the evening, when your feet swell, with your usual socks. Fit varies by brand, so check the return and exchange terms on the shop page before you buy.
RecommendedSee it on Rakuten IchibaSee it on Yahoo! Shopping JapanFAQ
How does the Velocity Nitro 5 fit?
Width is 2E equivalent for the men's regular, 3E equivalent for the Wide, and D equivalent for women's. The last is the JAPAN LAST, which gives room around the instep. The GORE-TEX and HYROX versions are noted "regular" for width.
How do the Velocity Nitro 5 and 4 differ?
The differences are 10g of weight, 2mm of drop, the width of the sole base, and the last. The foam name, 85% energy return and 800km guide are the same. For someone who wants to match drop with the Deviate shoes, there is a reason to switch.
Between the HYROX edition and the standard Velocity Nitro 5, which for HYROX?
If unsure, the standard. About 240g, 8mm drop, and JPY 1,100 cheaper than the HYROX edition. The HYROX edition is written to have reinforcing tape on the upper. PUMA's and On's race-oriented shoes are lined up in the same table in the 6 recommended HYROX shoes.
Gear in this article
Ads and images: Rakuten IchibaSources
- PUMA Japan press release (Jul 2, 2026): VELOCITY NITRO 5 released from Jul 9
- PUMA Japan press release (Jul 8, 2025): VELOCITY NITRO 4 released
- PUMA Japan press release (Jun 11, 2026): PUMA x HYROX AW26 collection
- PUMA Japan press release (Jan 9, 2026): PUMA x HYROX latest collection
- PUMA Japan official: men's Velocity Nitro 5
- PUMA Japan official: women's Velocity Nitro 5
- PUMA Japan official: men's Velocity Nitro 5 Wide
- PUMA Japan official: men's Velocity Nitro 5 GORE-TEX
- PUMA Japan official: men's PUMA x HYROX Velocity Nitro 5
- PUMA Japan official: men's Velocity Nitro 4 AP
