Puma Men's Pumagility Cross-Trainers, Size US 12, Black/Red

Puma has had a long rivalry with Adidas, and it turns out both companies were started by brothers in Germany. I had been a long-time fan of Adidas footwear because I have yet to find an Adidas running shoe that was uncomfortable out of the box. The tread lasts a long time and does not delaminate like Nike, and is not ultra-stiff like Reebox or New Balance. I've started to wear Puma apparel due to them being the official uniform designers for Formula 1 and MotoGP. Their apparel is high-tech and well made, and these Pumagility trainers seem to fit that description as well.

The first thing I noticed is the eye-catching packaging. Puma likes to list all of the sustainable practices they employ for the manufacture of their products. In the case of the Pumagility shoes, there is no shoebox. Instead, there is a red cotton/fabric carrier bag with some cardboard inserts to make it look like a shoebox. Once you remove the shoes and recycle the cardboard inserts, you end up with a reusable carrier bag for your shoes or gym clothes. Very neat!

The second thing I noticed is the eye-catching styling of the shoes. The high contrasting colors of black (the shoe's upper) and the red soles got me many compliments from co-workers. There is some 3D shape/texture on the lower shank portion that is also very high-tech and reminiscent of the fuselage surfaces of stealth fighters. The Puma single-stripe is also present on the shoes in the form of a sealant design.

The exterior of the shoes stains easily, and by that I mean it easily shows salt stains from the road salt they spray on sidewalks and streets during the winter. The black mesh material does breathe very well, so my feet stayed cool and dry even in a warm office setting, or while jogging outdoors. I would not recommend wearing bright socks with these shoes if you want to use them in a casual setting. The white socks contrasts too much with the black mesh, and looks weird when wearing dark pants such as jeans. I recommend black or dark socks from an aesthetic approach. In a gym environment, white socks are fine with shorts or athletic apparel.

The tread is somewhat stiff and the pattern is very shallow. I have my doubts as to its efficacy on outdoor running surfaces. It certainly does not fare as well as an all-terrain running shoe, but its shallow treads and small tread contact patches appear to be suited for indoor activities. Even a road running shoe has more tread on the outsole and shoulders, with deeper grooves for channeling water and grit.

The wide sole design provides a lot of stability, mostly suited for lifting or other activities in an indoor gym. While running outdoors, I felt the sole starting to break in more, although it was already fairly soft to begin with. The inserts aren't very thick but provide some adequate arch support. The styling is very ninja, but in conclusion I have to say that these Pumagility shoes are intended for indoor training activities and not that great for outdoor running. The shallow tread is not going to last well on road surfaces and is not as grippy as a road or all-terrain running shoe.

Overall: 4/5 stars, slick styling, comfortable for casual or indoor workouts, but doesn't appear as durable or versatile as a road/all-terrain running shoe.