The Puma Fast-R 2 and Nike Alphafly 3 are two of the big new carbon plate running shoes launched in 2024, with both boasting bouncy, propulsive designs that can help you power through long races in particular. Nick has racked up plenty of fast miles in both shoes and in this video he talks through the pros and cons of each, and says which he’d get.
Check out our full reviews of both shoes:
Nike Alphafly 3 Review:
Puma Fast-R 2 Review:
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:13 – Design & Key Stats
02:39 – How’s The Fit
03:26 – The Run Test
06:26 – Verdict
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Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and in this video going to be Comparing the Nike fly 3 and the pummer Fast R2 so the Ally 3 and the fast R2 are two New carbon plate running shoes for 2024 They are both big bouncy shoes primarily Focused on the marathon and they are Both quite expensive the outfly is more Expensive though it is 200 85 or $285 Whereas the fast R2 is £230 or $260 Ally Is the lighter shoe it's 220 G or 7.7 o In a UK size 9 the fastar in the same Size is 255 G or 9 oz they both have an 8 mm drop and the stack white hits that 40 mm limit set by World Athletics at The heel so the Nike you've got an atom Knit 3.0 upper it's a very open and Breathable material with with the tongue Integrated into the upper for a booty Style fit you've got Fair bit of padding Around the Achilles and a little bit of Structure at the back there but not a Lot then in the midsole you have Nike Zoomx foam as you'd expect the peber Based foam that's been used on all Nike Super Shoes ever since the original Vaporfly you have the Air Zoom pods Under the forfeit add a little bit more Energy return to the shoe compared to Just having zoomx foam alone and the AL 3 has a continuous midsole as you can See without the cutout going okay Acrossways on the shoe it just has a
Cutout lengthways down the bottom of the Shoe to cut a little bit of weight then You've got a far shot rubber out soole Good 4ot coverage very minimal stuff at The heel but it has proved quite Hardy In my testing so far then with the Pummer you've got an ultra weave upper Which is a fairly stiff and slightly odd Material with a pummer power tape added In to get a bit more structure onto the Shoe speaking of structure you've got The heel fin at the back here which does Act as a heel counter as well as looking You know very stylish and then you have A new midso material from Puma with the Fast R2 it's still called Nitro Elite as With their other carbon plate Super Shoes but it is now an aliphatic TPU Material rather than a peber based phone Which pummer says delivers even more Energy return obviously got that Decoupled midsole design which is quite Novel it shows off the carbon power Plate running through the shoe actually Extending beyond the front of the shoe That's another novel feature about the Fast R2 the like underbite you have with Its carbon plate which pmer says gives You a bit more leverage more ground Contact and the shoe has a pumer grip Rubber out soole with pretty much any of The foam that's going to come into the Contact with the ground covered you have Obviously the cutout and the decoupled
Midsole which reduces weight a bit and There's also a little bit cut out at the Back of the shoe there but pretty good Out soole coverage and it's obviously Very good outsole pummer grip we've Praised it across all of the pummer Shoes that have used it in the past and It's very good in the fast St too as Well so it comes to the fit of the two Shoes I've got a uk9 in both which is a US 10 it's the size I wear for pretty Much any shoe across both puma and Nike's ranges and the fit has been good For me in that size I've got enough room In the toe box in both shoes maybe Slightly longer the pmer than I Necessarily need so maybe it's a little Bit longer than the Nike overall but I Haven't had any problems in terms of the Length and the hold been good around the Heel and midfoot got no concerns at all With the Nike in fact that I don't love This heel fin on the back of the Puma I Think it does irritate my achilles the Way the whole heel is designed here if I Use the shoe a couple of runs in a row But that's not really what the shoe is Designed for it is just used for the you Know the occasional use the big race the Odd workout but yeah I don't love that Hil fin uh don't mind the way it looks But I just think adds a bit of Unnecessary irritation at the back of The shoe for my achilles
Anyway so I've tested both these shoes Pretty extensively this year and I've Enjoyed running in both of them they are Big bouncy propulsive shoes that I do Think deliver a really great fast ride And while they are both I think geared Towards the longer events actually been Impressed by the performance of both Shoes over short distances the pummer is Bigger and chunkier even than the Alphafly it is more of a cruiser it's a Kind of shoe that when you get into a Good rhythm with it you can just power Along and it feels really impressive Very fast and efficient I've done some Stiff and tough workouts in this shoe Big progression hour moving from 345 to 325 pace and a 10 times 1K at 320 Workout on the track as well as a decent Park run actually on Christmas Day and It's performed really well for all of Those runs I have found that even though It doesn't feel necessarily the fastest When you are in a good rhythm with the Shoe you do move very quick and Efficiently in it and I've not had any Really bad runs in it at all like it Doesn't feel the most natural it's not Great shoe for moving along at slower Paces it's a bit disconnected and clunky And it still feels like that even Compared to the alpha fly when I was Wearing both shoes at the same time like The Al has a smoother more natural
Transition this is a bit more odd but it Works like you get a big powerful bouncy Ride it's not the lightest shoe in the World but I don't haven't found the Weight has held me back a lot over those Short distances like like it's not Necessarily the shoe I'd reach for you Know instinctively for those short Workouts but having done you know Shortish reps at good Paces it has felt Pretty good for them I think certainly Feels better when you are cruising along Like when you try to do fast Accelerations or stuff like that it Doesn't feel as good it's a it does feel A bit odd like I say and it is a bit big Whereas the Ally has that kind of Top Gear I think a bit more than the fast R2 Like I've done a lot of long cruisy Workouts in the SHO as well I did my First 20 mile of my Marathon block in The alpha F recently as well which is First half was pretty easy second half At sub six minute Ming and you know it's Got that you can just tap into a pace And cruise along very well but I think The alph probably has a little bit more Of an edge when it comes to accelerating And upping the pace over shorter Distances I've done a 5K and a 10k race In the alphafly and they felt really Good or going down the track I've Actually done a very similar workout That I did to the pumo where I did 10
Times 1K reps but in the alpha flly that Workout I think I was alternating 310 And 320 pace and again it just feels Really really good at those Paces so 310 Is you know my 5K Pace but it's also Felt really good for me at marathon pace Cruising along I think it's got a really Fantastic amount of range for a carbon Plate ra and shoe the alphafly because It is quite light for the level of foam And bounce you're getting here and like I said I was using both shoes at the Same time for a short run it definitely Has a more fluid natural feeling Transition that gets you onto those Air Zoom pods which deliver a lot of Bounce Whereas the pummer has a slightly less Natural feel a less natural look but Yeah like I say it has worked to me the I do think it's a shoe that maybe Requires a little bit more power put Into it to get the same level of Bounce Out whereas the Al I think responds very Well even to a run like myself I have a Very shuffly stride quite High Cadence So I'm not necessarily putting in as Much power as bigger loping Runners Where I think the pum will excel even More I think the Ally has a bit more Range and versatility I think it will Suit loads of Runners just because of The way it has that fast transition that Tippy forward feeling but also that Booming cruisy ride if you are going to
Sit back and just roll alonger more like Marathon Pace so first on the two shoes here that They are both really good carbon shoes And like a lot of carbon shoes right now I think the Puma's big problem is the Nike Al 3 which I do think is the best Carbon plate racing shoe available at The moment not actually available right Now but I think there's a new launch Coming soon and you know who knows when You're watching this video they'll Probably be available to buy I think it Just delivers the best of everything Really you're getting That Bouncy Protective high level of foam Under Foot For those longer events that helps you Cruise along at the slower race Paces Like a marathon but you've got an Aggressive feel a nice Tippy forward Feeling and a light Nimble shoe if you Are going use it for short events as Well like there are lighter more Aggressive shoes like the vaporfly 3 but The Ally is up there of any 5k racing Shoe whilst I think being the best Marathon racing shoe which is what I Will be using it for mainly as a Marathon focused Runner Puma fast R2 has Impressed me with how it's performed at Those shorter Paces even over a 5K Distance like park run but I think Ed Out it's best when you are in Rhythm Cruising along it doesn't feel very
Nimble if you're going to round a lot of Corners and that kind of thing so it Does really suit the marathon well and Certain Runners I think he may put a bit More Force into it will get even more Bounce out of it than I do But all around I just think it hasn't Got the range of the alply and I still Would pick the alply over it for a Marathon so I think it's a really good Shoe but like so many issues on the Market right now it's going to struggle To beat out the Nike uh when it comes to That allout level of performance and if The price is similar as it is in the US I think the ALF is the clear pick I Think there's a bit more of a difference In the UK price and you the pum is a fun Shoe to try but once you are you know Already straying well over 200 that I would look to pay the extra And get the alpha myself because I do Think the level of performance is just a Little bit higher but some interesting Stuff here with the pum F too I don't Think all of it works still don't like The hill fin really sure about the Underbite but I think this foam is Really good really interesting to see How that performs on other carbon shoes CU pumer has quite a few in the range But for now in this versus I'd be Picking the Nike fly 3 over the pummer Fast
R2 that's our comparison of the Nike Ally 3 and the Puma fast R2 let us know What you think in the comments below We've got still got quite a few carbon Shoes coming in right now to test and we Have loads more verses coming up with The Ally and the p and yeah loads of Carbon stuff to come but so do like Subscribe and ring the little bell so You get notified when you drop a new Video because then you'll find out more About all these crazy carbon shoes that Are coming out anyway we'll see you next Time
