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Running gets better when you are wearing nice kicks. The experience is quite different. It is both overwhelmingly cool and fun.
This quick reflection means that you need more nice running shoes added to your workout gear.
The New Balance brand produces some good shoes that make running a wonderful experience, as their cushioning and wide range of sizes marks them out as one of the best in the industry.
Similarly, Puma does a good job in running shoes, with their ever-developing technologies and designs.
Having to choose between these two brands for a good running shoe can be confusing considering their good offers and seemingly nice designs.
So, this article is your bailout because I will be comparing New Balance and Puma, to know which is a better running shoe.
Differences between New Balance and Puma Running Shoes
I won’t deny the fact that New Balance and Puma are grandmasters in the production of sports gear, especially shoes.
Since this post is narrowing their production to running shoes, it will be important to play by the book and focus only on the text.
The major difference between New Balance and Puma running shoes is their fitting. It’s no doubt that the New Balance brand has a keen eye for sporting shoes and understands the diversity in foot build.
To this end, their technology works towards producing running shoes that explore many size variants.
New Balance running shoes are available for virtually all types of feet in width. This includes those with foot abnormalities, orthopedics, ailments, and essentially wide-footed folks.
This feature is particularly off in the Puma running shoes, which are rather built to fit narrowly and snug on the feet with less space for good footing.
The absence of this feature in Puma running shoes has to be linked to them their production from the prototype of football shoes.
There are other differences existing between these two brands of running shoes. One of these differences is that New Balance shoes are mainly made in the US, as the brand itself was founded on American soil.
On the other hand, Puma has a German heritage and they outsource its shoes to mostly Asian countries where production cost is low.
This says a lot about their quality as ‘Made in American’ products greatly pride themselves on quality over the shoes made in Asia countries like China, Thailand, or Vietnam.
Records prove that New Balance running shoes have been around longer than Puma running shoes, and as such, have more experience in the production of shoes specifically made for running.
Equally, New Balance shoes are priced higher than Puma running shoes, and I can trace the reason for this to their majority production in the United States, where the cost of production is high.
Brief Review of New Balance Running Shoes
The American company New Balance Athletics, Inc. and styled as just ‘NB’ manufactures the running shoes branded as New Balance.
The company, which deals mainly in athletic footwear, clothing, and accessories, was founded by Willaim J. Riley in 1906.
The brand which is based in Boston, Massachusetts, started as a retailer of arch supports for footwear and other accessories
However, it was plunged into the transitioning scheme which a lot of startup brands usually experience and it eventually came into the hands of a couple.
The couple Eleanor and Paul Kidd continued the company’s business of selling arch supports for shoes until 1960 when they designed and unveiled the ‘Trackster’.
The Trackster goes down in history as the first running shoe in the world. They made the shoes with ripple soles made from synthetic material, which added extra comfort to the feet and created a slight bounce effect while walking or running.
The Trackster became the breakthrough product of the brand as it came in varying widths and sizes, which led to its adoption by many people.
Other events are history, as the New Balances still stands tall as a top contender in the competition of producing really good shoes for athletics.
The company has been in the business for many decades and understands the core of what the people need and are poised to deliver great pairs.
The running shoe lines of the New Balance label include the Fresh Foam and the Fuel Cell Lines, which took their name from the type of foam used for their soles.
The running shoes come with sleek designs, with details like an EVA sole technology, breathable upper canvas, comfortable insole, and a durable build.
Pros:
- Available in many color varieties.
- Available for all types of foot; wide, or small.
- Runs true to size.
- Very easy to break in.
- Comfortable with great cushioning.
- Useful for major foot defects.
Cons:
- Slightly on the higher end.
- Upper easily wear and tear.
- Slippery soles.
- Poor customer service from the brand.
Brief Review of Puma Running Shoes
Puma SE is the company that produces Puma running shoes and other footwear, sports clothing, and accessories. Puma was founded as a break-off from a German footwear company owned by two brothers.
Rudolf Dassler, a brother to Adolf Dassler, the founder of Adidas footwear and sports clothing company in Herzogenaurach, Germany, founded it.
The two brothers established a company in 1924, which translates to mean the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.
After an unexpected fallout between the brothers in 1948, they went their separate ways and Rudolf created Puma, while Adolf, his older brother, created Adidas.
The Puma brand was more concerned with sports in its early days, leading to many deals with athletes, big and small.
heir production was mainly focused on soccer shoes and boots but gradually featured in notable iconic moments in the history of running.
The Puma brand has been producing running shoes with great designs and technologies like the unveiling of the RS Running system in 1984, which was a marriage of a computer and a pair of shoes.
It also launched the likes of the Puma Disc running shoe, which features an innovative fastening method that didn’t involve the use of shoe laces.
Presently, Puma running shoes have evolved drastically to meet the current demands, and to live up to their long history with athletics.
Notable types of Puma running shoes are the Velocity series, the Fly flex series, the NRGY series, and the Deviate series all for both men and women.
Most of the Puma running shoes incorporate the use EverRide outsoles, a mesh canvas upper, EVA soles, and rubber elements to improve flexibility in running.
Pros:
- Great designs.
- Good cushioning.
- Good floor grip.
- Breathable mesh upper and lining.
- Available in a variety of colors and sizes.
Cons:
- Not true to size.
- Runs small.
- Has a narrow fit, not good for wide-footed folks.
Head-to-Head Comparison of New Balance and Puma Running Shoes
The subsequent segments of this article will elaborate on some points, which will be used to compare and contrast the New Balance and Puma running shoes.
In this segment lies the information you need to choose from either shoe. The factors for my comparison are.
Price
The New Balance running shoes are more pricey than those from Puma. This price difference is not huge, but it is there.
At the time of writing this article, the lowest price for a pair of Puma running shoes is $55 with shoes like the NRGY Comet Running shoe in this price range.
You can get a pair of Puma running shoes as high as $200+, like the Deviate NITRO Women’s Running shoe.
Most New Balance shoes come up a bit costly, with the least priced at $69 and going up as high as $350.
The high price range of the New Balance shoes is not outrageous considering their quality and functionality.
Comfort
These two brands of running shoes understand the role of comfortable shoes in having a good running experience.
Over the years, they have produced shoes that are not only good but also feel nice for running.
The EVA technology outsole used in the production of these shoes makes for a bouncing feel and good floor stability while running.
Deciding which shoes have more comfort rate is a hassle because as competitors in the same circle, they have shoes that measure up to another in terms of quality, design, and also comfort.
Design and Style
The design of both New Balance and Puma running shoes are closely identical, with just the difference in parts and again the difference in brand logos.
Their respective style is nothing further from the aesthetic of contemporary running shoes.
While the New Balance shoes have the boldly displayed ‘N’ by the side of the stylized ‘NB’ branding, the Puma running shoes adopt their usual strip design by the side and sometimes their iconic flying cat.
Overall, the design of New Balance running shoes avails wearers the opportunity to have a wide range of options to choose from. So even if you have wide feet, there is always a New Balance shoe for you.
The brand aims to roll support and cushioning into one by introducing various technologies to improve their running shoes.
Conversely, Puma running shoes are built to improve athleticism and speed, giving you a better running experience.
Build Quality
This factor deals with how well and strong these shoes are made, and I must tell you that they are on the top spot of quality running shoes.
Both New Balance and Puma have had a long streak of producing running shoes and are continually improving their production process to meet up with the need of the present times.
Nevertheless, if the build quality is singularly measured by the place of production, then New Balance takes the credit.
They are one of the few American footwear companies that insist on running their production process in the US, instead of some substandard Asian factory where production cost is low.
However, Puma has a record of outsourcing a majority of its shoes to Asia, which has resulted in complaints of a decrease in quality by their customers.
Material
The primary material used in producing New Balance running shoes is a mesh upper. Others include leather, textile, synthetic sole material like ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), and the unusual use of suede material in the upper.
Through technologies like FreshFoam and FuelCell sole, this whole combine to give you a pair of New Balance running shoes worthy of your money.
Also, most Puma running shoes are made with similar materials as the New Balance. But the technological buildup is different, which makes their shoe unique and functional.
Over the years, Puma has combined technologies like the EVERFIT sole formula, FAAS FOAM midsole, AIRmesh upper technology, and the EVERTRACK outsole.
Durability
Want to know which of these shoes lasts longer? I bet that’s the question most runners reading this article are dying to voice out and I will answer it this way.
Analysis shows that your running shoes, of any model or brand, have a lifespan of 300-1000km (200-600 miles).
This calculation stood at 300-500km for most brands like Nike, Asics, and Puma, until the New Balance 738 model broke the record and went on for 700km.
These stats blew so many minds, but good a thing the shoes still retained some of their features like an intact plantar pressure.
These stats prove only one thing that a pair of New Balance running shoes is more durable than Puma and also reinstates it as a deadbeat durable running shoe.
Fit and Sizing
The fitting on most New Balance shoes is true to size, and their variety in sizing makes it very easy for you to pick up your feet size from a wider range of options.
Be it wide feet or narrow feet, New Balance has something for you, so order your real size when buying your shoes.
In contrast, Puma running shoes run small and fit narrow, making them unfit for some people like wide-footed folks.
The tip on sizing for Puma running shoes is that you should size at least a size up when ordering their shoes for a better fit.
Final Verdict
With all the clear points and stats, it wouldn’t be a surprise if I pitched my tent with New Balance running shoes, because they are all you need and more.
These shoes are functional to the core, with real-time emphasis on sizing and fitting. While the New Balance shoes tend to fit snug and comfortable, I found out that Puma running shoes fit more tightly because of their wrong sizing flaw.
Conclusion
To wrap up this article, I would love to reiterate the need for you to get good cushioning running shoes. Especially if you want your running experience to be an alchemy of fun, healthy, and inspiration.
And I believe that both New Balance and Puma running shoes offer you these benefits in their way.
But after reading through this article, I am convinced you can now choose a better running shoe between these shoes with the plain facts made available in this article.
You are also free to explore beyond the boundaries of my verdict and just go for what appeals the most to you regardless of brand or model.
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