Details
Brand
Puma
Heel To Toe Drop
12mm
Breathability
10/10
Latest Version
No
Terrain
Road
Type
Neutral
Key Features
• Comfortable ride• Underfoot protection• Good cushioning• Reliable traction• Maximum flexibility• Thin, breathable tongue
Upper
The upper on the Puma Ignite Mesh is lauded for its focus on being exceptionally light while still retaining a high level of comfort for the top of your feet as well. This is thanks mostly to the Ignite Mesh construction which allows the tongue to be breathable while still remaining comfortable, supportive, and light. There’s a dynamic lacing system that’s been put in place here that keeps the shoe nice and supportive while still retaining the flexibility. You don’t have to worry about this system being obtrusive as you run, thanks to the clever design choices from Puma.
Midsole
The midsole of the Puma Ignite Mesh is noted for its ability to give your foot plenty of cushioning as you run. It can do this thanks largely to its Ignite Mesh construction which utilizes a foam material. Not only does this foam material provide a high level of cushioning for your feet as you run, it’s also very light, ensuring that you can get on with your run without having to be weighed down and consequently risking a slower run time. This means that competitive runners would be especially happy with this shoe as their choice for competition. It also has ForEverFoam included, which allows your heel to be comfortable as the shoe stands up to durability tests.
Outsole
Puma uses their proprietary EverTrack technology on the outsole of this shoe in order to ensure that you have plenty of the durability even on the areas of the shoe that will experience a lot of wear and tear. There are also very helpful flex grooves that have been installed into the main outsole of the shoe, which means that you’ll get a great grip on the road, which is essential for anyone who’s serious about running. You’ll also get plenty of flexibility, which isn’t always the case when you have as tough and durable an outsole as you have with the Puma Ignite Mesh.
Breathability
As we’ve touched on earlier, the breathability of the Puma Ignite Mesh is definitely one of its strong suits, thanks in large part to its thin, light, and breathable tongue. You can also count on the breathable mesh upper to do much of the heavy lifting. In this way, it’s kind of like a nice one-two punch of breathability that ensures that your feet are going to stay dry and cool as you’re running. The only thing you have to worry about with the Puma Ignite Mesh is the fact that it’s garnered the reputation of having a particularly tight fit, so that will be the only thing that might hold you back from going on longer runs with the shoe.
Comfort
If one of your biggest sticking points in a running shoe is comfort, then you’re definitely in luck when it comes to the Puma Ignite Mesh. The shoe has been lauded for having a comfortable ride, which is incredibly important in a road runner, as the road is extremely unforgiving and will do damage to your feet if they aren’t properly protected. This comfort all starts with the tongue, which is ultra light and thin, designed specifically to make sure that your upper foot is well taken care of. The midfoot and heel especially benefit from a good fit according to several reviewers.
Style
In terms of style, the Puma Ignite Mesh should be able to please both fans of minimalism and flashiness in a running shoe. The majority of the shoe is covered by a single color, with the outsole taking on the secondary color. There’s a sort of swoosh along the side of the shoe that then serves as a sort of gradient between the two colors, serving as a tasteful display of the color options that you’ve chosen. There are several color options to choose from, so those who like to express themselves through their shoe styles will be pleased with the Puma Ignite Mesh.
Durability
The Ignite Mesh technology that’s present in the Puma Ignite Mesh allows for the midsole to be especially cushioning and durable. It features ForEverFoam that was purposefully placed in the heel of the shoe, where you’ll tend to see the most wear and tear from an average run. This means that you can take the Puma Ignite Mesh on particularly long runs and not have to worry about the shoe giving out on you. The outsole also utilizes EverTrack material to add even more durability to the running experience. The Puma Ignite Mesh has you covered if you’re planning on taking the shoe out on a lot of long distance runs.
Protection
The Puma Ignite Mesh has been lauded for providing cushioning that protects the underfoot of the shoe, giving you a high level of energy return as well as plenty of protection. This issue has been brought up by several reviewers, showing that while protection is quite important in a running shoe, it’s not something that you particularly have to worry about with the Puma Ignite Mesh. Puma is good about building shoes that are fundamentally well-rounded, shoes that surprise by continually innovating in the field, and the Puma Ignite Mesh is no exception.
Responsiveness
The responsiveness of the Puma Ignite Mesh is dependent on a formula of PU foam that gives you a high degree of responsiveness, something that will keep your energy return high as you push off of the ground and try to run that much faster. As a result, most of your responsiveness is going to come from the inside of the shoe, although the outsole still does provide plenty of responsiveness as well. The Puma Ignite Mesh is a great all around shoe that provides a high degree of lightness, durability, flexibility, and even responsiveness.
Support
The arch support of the Puma Ignite Mesh is specifically designed to be neutral, meaning that the support for this shoe is going to be just fine for the vast majority of runners. You should keep in mind, though, that if you’re one who tends to overpronate as you run, this shoe might not provide all of the arch support that you need. With that said, it is true that the arch support here will do just fine for most runners. Puma knows what they’re doing when it comes to providing a comprehensive experience for the majority of runners, and by playing it safe here with the Puma Ignite Mesh, they’re ensuring that they do just that again.
Terrain
The terrain of the Puma Ignite Mesh is decidedly meant to be for the road, and this shows especially with the outsole of the Puma Ignite Mesh. When you look at the fact that the outsole itself is composed of a highly durable rubber material, this already appears to be the case. When you add to this the fact that Puma has made use of a number of flex grooves on the outsole of the shoe to also provide a level of durability and responsiveness as well as flexibility, it becomes apparent that this is a shoe that’s meant for running on the road.
Price
In terms of price, the Puma Ignite Mesh does very fairly widely when it comes to buying this on Amazon, but you can expect to pay a relatively low price for this shoe once you look online. The shoe can range in price from about $30 to around $100, but again, you’re probably going to be paying something on the lower side of that. This shoe would be very reasonably priced even at around $100, so you’ll definitely be getting a good deal no matter which way you slice it.
Drop
The heel to toe drop on the Puma Ignite Mesh is quite reasonable, coming out to 8mm for both the men’s and women’s versions of the shoe. This means that you’re going to be able to get a stable run out of the shoe just about every time without having to worry about having your gait cycle interrupted or affected in any major kind of way. This means that you can take the Puma Ignite Mesh out on a particularly long run without having to take breaks for discomfort or anything like that. This is important to consider when you’re thinking of taking your shoe out on a longer run.
Stability
The Puma Ignite Mesh is quite a stable running shoe, thanks in large part to its tough and durable outsole. It’s also got a reasonable heel to toe drop, meaning that you’re going to get a very stable running experience while also remaining light and flexible. Again, it’s rare that a running shoe company gets the whole picture right, but Puma has definitely done that with the Puma Ignite Mesh. There are many reasons to go with this shoe, and not a whole lot to not go with it. Puma always puts out a good running shoe, and the Puma Ignite Mesh is no exception.
Flexibility
As we’ve touched on earlier, the flexibility of the Puma Ignite Mesh really benefits from the high number of flex grooves that are situated on the bottom of the shoe, allowing you to push off of the ground better and get a better gait cycle out of the shoe. This is especially impressive when you consider just how tough and durable the shoe’s outsole is on the whole. It’s incredibly rare that you get the whole package in a way that’s as contradictory as having great durability while simultaneously having a high degree of flexibility, but that’s exactly what you get from the Puma Ignite Mesh.
Traction
If you’re looking for a running shoe with good traction, the Puma Ignite Mesh is the one. A number of reviewers have lauded the shoe for its superior traction, specifically in its outsole unit. A number of shoes try to fit in plenty of features but rarely do they get the full picture right. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see a major shoe company like Puma get it right when they could have easily skimped out on one feature for the benefit of all the rest.
Bottom Line
The bottom line when it comes to the Puma Ignite Mesh is that it’s a great shoe that’s incredibly flexible, durable, and responsive, and it comes at a price that is simply unheard of when it comes to a high level running shoe like this. You can count on the Puma Ignite Mesh to be as flexible as the best running shoes out there while still retaining enough durability to stand up to all of the rigors of a good run.
