The latest addition to the Puma IGNITE running family, the Puma IGNITE Ultimate shoes are marketed as offering runners comfort and energy return with every workout.

Comprising of raised midsole heights and an articulated chevron design, the IGNITE Ultimate shoes are engineered to provide ultimate cushioning and responsiveness to keep you running further and longer than ever.

The Puma IGNITE Ultimate running shoes promise greater energy return with every workout.
[Photo from us.puma]

IGNITE Ultimate shoes has elevated the IGNITE technology further

Said Kohei Hagio, Puma Senior Head of Product Line Management – Running Training Footwear, “At Puma, we continue to push for innovation in all our products, with the goal being to create the fastest products in the market. With the IGNITE Ultimate, we know we have elevated the IGNITE technology further but we will not stop there.”

Following the media launch event for the shoes earlier this year, I had been given a pair of the IGNITE Ultimate shoes for a review. The unit I received was a pretty blue/silver colour combination, with PWRCOOL thermo-regulating technology features – my first impression was that the colour was quite attractive.

The review unit I received was a pretty blue and silver colour.

As Puma had earlier mentioned that the shoes are best suited for distances ranging between 10km to 21km, I have recently taken them out on a couple of mid-distance outdoor runs of about 10km – and here are my comments.

Shoes are springy and bouncy

The initial thing that I noticed about the shoes when I put them on, had been the springy and bouncy feeling in the midsoles during my running. This is thanks to the IGNITE foam together with the three-layer mesh upper – that are advertised as providing runners with ultimate comfort and breathability.

Said Puma Spokesperson Adam Rarch, 29, “We have updated the foam to give maximum cushioning for runners, as well as changed the mesh upper to add breathability to the shoes.”

In my opinion, the IGNITE foam does its job well – as it helps to minimise the impact on the knees when pounding the hard pavements, by absorbing some of the shock and force generated. As such, by the end of my 10km runs, my knees were still feeling quite good.

And even in Singapore’s hot and humid weather, the three-layer mesh had also enabled my feet to stay pretty cool inside these running shoes.

Initially slipping the shoes onto my feet had required a shoe horn though, as the heel counter is pretty soft, but when running, I found this to be good as it adds to the comfort levels of the shoes during the run – sometimes if the heel counter feels too hard, then it tends to rub uncomfortably against my heel and that affects my running.

As well, the toe box also felt quite comfortable during my running and also when I was standing and walking. This is because the IGNITE Ultimate shoes have a slightly broader cutting.

The shoes are springy and bouncy for running.
[Photo by Puma]

Shoes are light and comfortable to run with

Also, I realised that the raised appearance of the midsole height can be quite deceiving  – this makes the shoes look heavy to the naked eye, but in fact the opposite is actually quite true – as they feel rather light and comfortable when I am actually running. This feature also adds to the levels of cushioning and responsiveness of the shoes too, according to Puma.

And the guidance grooves running from the heel to the toe of the shoes, also helps you to mimic your natural running gait as they are set in a transition line.

The main aim of this is to provide traction thus minimising injuries to runners – however, at the very beginning when I slipped on the shoes, I could feel these ridges on my soles when I stood and walked around, but after taking a few steps in the shoes and then beginning my run, this feeling somewhat disappeared and I felt quite okay after that.

Has Thermo-regulated technology

My review unit also came with PWRCOOL technology.

As well, thanks to the PWRCOOL features present in my review unit – a form of thermo-regulated technology launched last year by Puma that controls the temperature inside the shoe to keep you feeling cool – the temperature of my feet had continued to remain constant and dry throughout the run, even though my body had been perspiring profusely.

Overall Comments

So far, I have found the Puma IGNITE Ultimate shoes to be a pretty decent pair to run in – but I may be taking these shoes out for a half marathon this weekend to see how the shoes continue to stack up, after a longer distance.

Said Rarch, “Running on the hard pavements for periods of time hurts the heels and the way that you land is especially important, so this shoe will give you the comfort and breathability that you need to go the distance while minimising injury.”

The shoes have a recommended retail price of SGD199.

Cost and where to buy the shoes

At a recommended retail price of SGD199, the IGNITE Ultimate running shoes are definitely worth it if you want a cushioned and comfortable pair of shoes for your mid-distance runs.

They are available at all Puma retails stores and authorised dealers.

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