Women’s running shoes make up a large portion of the sneaker market. Striking a balance between style and function is the ultimate goal, keeping in mind current footwear trends while optimizing the performance of the shoe. Puma achieves both with its new women’s-specific running shoe, the XX Nitro.
This new running shoe takes into account the biomechanics of the woman’s foot, unlike previous women’s running shoes. Since this is a women’s-only running shoe, there’s no men’s version; when Puma says they’re creating a shoe designed for women, they mean it. Unlike some women’s shoes that are just scaled down from men’s models, these women’s shoes are made around the female foot. Named for the DNA sequence of a woman’s XX chromosome, the sneaker was tested on a group of female runners before release. Puma partnered with the UMass Biomechanics Laboratory to conduct a large-scale running study of female runners who collectively ran more than 36,000 miles in eight weeks. Their study found that 81% of runners preferred the XX Nitro over the control sneaker, especially for its support and comfort.
The XX Nitro is designed to fit a woman’s heel better than other running shoes, while providing a narrower fit across the body. The instep and arches also get extra support with this sneak. A chunky Nitro foam midsole gives this shoe a bit of a platform look, layered under the heel (almost a VaporWaffle vibe, no?). Puma’s RUNGUIDE technology runs through a firm density edge around the heel to help runners’ foot touch the ground in alignment.
Check out this promo video and the official photo of XX Nitro below.
