Puma Ventis

Out of the box, the PUMA VENTIS have a chunky look, but once on the feet feel snug and secure without being tight or constricting. They are also lighter than they look. Into the park and the Ventis coped well with mud, gravel and even snow, gripping the ground superbly and keeping out the odd splashes of water. The shoes also have plenty of cushioning for hard surfaces. My feet neither froze nor overheated, although given recent conditions there was little danger of the second.

Although they are large I had no problems with these shoes catching my ankle bone as I’ve had with others in the past.

For a final test I trialled these shoes on a 5k parkrun (www.parkrun.org.uk) and ran my best time in years. I can’t say that this was because of the Ventis, but they certainly didn’t hold me back.

Packed full of technical features, the shoes are aimed at runners with “normal running stride characteristics” and retail at around £90. I’d be happy to wrack up a chunk of winter miles in these shoes and wouldn’t feel disadvantaged racing in them, despite the size.

See www.pumarunning.com for more details.

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