Following Hybrid Fitness Media’s coverage last week of PUMA’s HYROX shoe preview in London, PUMA athlete Jake Dearden has now released the first detailed public review of the model. In a new video posted this week, Dearden says PUMA invited him to the company’s Run Train headquarters in Boston to test early versions of the model ahead of the 2025 and 2026 race seasons.

He explains that HYROX athletes have spent years competing in traditional running shoes, which work well for speed but “lack certain things that you need.” The sport requires stability, grip, and a secure platform for sleds and functional movements. “There is so much being left on the table by not having a HYROX specific shoe and that is what PUMA are trying to come up with,” he says.

Fit and stability

Dearden says the new model feels wider than his current race shoe, the Deviate Elite 3. “They feel a little bit wider, which is good in my opinion. It gives it a more stable base, especially for HYROX movements like lunges and wall balls.” He notes that the difference is more noticeable in motion than in appearance. “When you put them on and actually move about in them, you can feel the base is a lot wider.”

Full-length grip

Grip is the biggest change he highlights. Holding up his Deviate Elite 3, Dearden points out that the tread is only placed in two primary zones. On the HYROX model, “the grip goes all the way from the top to the bottom,” with deeper lugs designed for sled pushes, sled pulls, and burpees on sometimes slick carpets.

He also mentions a specific issue he experienced with the Elite 3. “The big error I was having with the DV8 Elite 3s was the grip peeling off at the bottom. I heel strike only on one foot, so my left foot used to peel off all the time and I actually used to super glue them back on.” He says the new tread pattern appears to solve that problem.

Carbon plate and weight reduction

The shoe continues to use a carbon plate, but PUMA has reduced its mass by removing material where the plate is not structurally needed. “It is not one thick slab going throughout the shoe. It has holes cut into it, so anywhere the plate is not needed is taken out. That means this shoe is a lot lighter.”

The upper is “a little bit more breathable” while keeping a similar overall feel to the Elite 3. Dearden says that athletes who liked the 3 “are going to absolutely love the 4 HYROX version, especially if you are using it for HYROX.”

Performance testing

While at the Boston facility, Dearden completed a VO2 test in both the Elite 3 and the HYROX model. He reports identical numbers. “When they feel exactly the same and there is nothing lost on the runs, it is huge because there is so much more stability and grip,” he says.

Back in the United Kingdom, he tested the shoe in a full HYROX-style session that included rowing, sled push, sled pull, burpees, ski erg, lunges, and running. “I do not even think about the thought that I might slip doing a sled push,” he says. For sled pull and burpees, which he describes as his biggest concern due to slick carpets, he reports “no issues” and says the shoe felt “dead smooth, dead fluid.”

After the workout, he says he would race in them today. “I feel like it is actually going to help improve my time. I am absolutely buzzing with them.”

His conclusion: “If you are looking for a shoe for HYROX then this is a perfect shoe. You need grip for the sled push and sled pull, you need stability for wall balls and walking lunges, and you need it to be fast. This ticks all the boxes. It is lighter than the previous versions and it is currently the only shoe on the market designed for the actual sport.”

Product lineup confirmed

In a public comment beneath his video, Dearden also confirmed the naming structure and the existence of two models. “There will be a Deviate 4 HYROX shoe and a Deviate 4 Running shoe,” he wrote. “Both better and lighter than the 3.”