Puma Faas 500 Running Shoe Review
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Over the years, I have tested out a number of Puma running shoes and I must admit, I have never been a huge fan. Â It seemed as if they spent a little too much time focusing on soccer cleats and fashion, but not enough time on their running shoes. Â So when I received the new Faas 500’s, I thought to myself; here’s another flashy shoe that won’t make the cut. Â I opened up the shoe box and tried on the Faas 500 running shoes and my first thought was that they were pretty comfortable and looked pretty fun, a good casual running shoe to wear around town. Â I then took the shoes out for a 5 mile run and I was pleasantly surprised. Â I actually enjoyed running in a pair of Puma’s!
The Puma Faas 500 running shoes were put together with 3 categories in mind; rocker, flex, and groove, all of which make up the BioRide Technology midsole. Â The rocker helps propel the foot in a forward motion from heel to toe, the flex allows your foot to do a little more work with each individual foot strike, and the small grooves allow the shoe to contour the ground and better react to every foot strike. I found the midsole of the Faas 500 to have plenty of cushion on middle to long distance runs, allowing my feet to do a little more work than normal, but not too much. Although they worked great for me on mid to long distance runs, I am not too sure they would work all that great for a runner with heavy pronation problems.
One of the noticeable difference in the Puma Faas 500 versus a traditional running shoe is the heel cup.  The heel cup of the shoe has no hard plastic to give the back of the shoe a lot of structure.  I didn’t find this to be a problem while running, but it had me asking the designers at Puma what the deal was. The rest of the shoe lacks plastic or synthetic reinforcement that most running shoes have.  This is a small concern to me as I don’t think they will hold up for an extended period of time.  I do however think they will hold up for the average mileage one can get out of a running shoe, between 350-500 miles.  They might just not hold up for years of lawn mowing after.  Overall, I was very happy with how the Puma Faas 500 performed and I commend Puma for stepping over to the bright side!  If you are looking for a more lightweight minimalist shoe, Puma is also going to be offering the Faas 300 this season which is a trimmed down version of the 500.
For more info on the Faas 500 and other Puma footwear, visit www.puma.com or www.amazon.com/puma.
Like AGR, I was also pleasantly surprised by the Faas 500. For starters, the Women’s model is bright pink; not just a little pink here and there, but bright pink that draws attention to your feet from other runners! Running around Wash Park in Denver, CO I got quite a few glances, which made me want to run even a little faster to give some credibility to myself and the shoes.
With all joking aside, I found the Faas 500 to be extremely comfortable right out of the box and after a 2 hour run. It is a lightweight trainer that weighs a mere 8.9 oz for the women’s model. Mild cushioning kept my feet comfy while pounding the pavement. The shoe is also extremely flexible which allowed for natural midfoot/forefoot striking. I too noticed that there was no real heel cup, which I didn’t mind because I am not a heel striker nor do I need a lot of motion control. Overall, I agree with Puma that the Faas 500 is peformance neutral trainer without lots of bells or whistles which allows for a light and fast trainer for speed days or even racing.
On a side note, I did wear these shoes to work (the other hat I wear) for a 13 hour shift and my feet were comfortable all day and were not sweaty (like normal) thanks to the incredibly breathable upper.
how would these shoes perform as a training shoe? as to handle not just a forward run but also side to side movements?
how do you cross an ocean while on your feet? i suppose since you have to strap in and stay seated during takeoff and landing a plane is out of the question…i suppose a ship with a large deck where you can jog your way across the sea would do…
does anyone know of a woman’s faas 500 review? the shoe doesn’t seem to be entirely unisex, with different colorways listed for men vs. women….
Hi Shirly, our female tester Shannon tested them out, I’ll have her respond to this
where do we submit our contest entries for the faas 500 contest
Hi Shirley,
Please see my review above, I included some stats in it as well. Over 2 months later and they are still sticking together, with no major break down. I wear them about 2 times a week, as I have lots of shoes to test for the fall. I still wear them to work and get lots of comments; they make me feel fast while walking the floors of my hospital!
All you need to do is submit them in the comments section.
Very cool
If I had to get to Jamaica on feet, I’d first walk/run my way down to the Keys. On the way there, I’d stop by Sea World and borrow a couple of dolphins. Once in the Keys, I’d harness myself to the dolphins (in a way so as to cause no harm to them, of course) and have them pull me, water ski style, all the way to Jamaica! 🙂
I would take a cruise from Miami to Jamaica and run around the ships track on one of the top decks of the cruise ship until I reach Jamaica. I would chat with Mr. Bolt about running (of course). On a cruise ship I could concentrate on running and not distracting things like cooking, cleaning etc. I would proudly show off my shoes and get tons of compliments about my “cool shoes”!
I would order the largest pair of shoes that I can get and use them as giant flippers while I swim to Jamaaica. Once there I would run in the Puma shoes to meet Usain Bolt and give him a head start in the race.
To get to Jamaica I would run to Miami and then rent a kite board and take it all the way to party it up with Usain and maybe train a little bit too!
if i had to get to Jamaica only on my feet, i would rent a five story party blimp including five large rooms, a 90″ plasma screen tv, a pool the size of a basketball court, an arcade, and finally a weight room with a track going around it and put a tredmil inside. i would run on the tredmil and the track the whole way to Jamaica. then when i finally got there, i would run around Jamaica a few dozen times for a warmup. then when its time to train, id kiss my lucky iphone and then give Usain Bolt a head start, strap on my pumas, and set the new world record for the 100m dash. then i would give Usain Bolt a tour of my insane party blimp and we’d be closet than butter on a roll.
I would find someone with a speed boat. Then I would waterski. Halfway, I’d remember that I have a pair of Puma Faas 500 and ditch the boat, and run the rest of the way to Jamaica. When I’d meet up with Usain, we’d have a posing contest, then we’d train.
Running down to the keys is the easy part, but a cruise ship track is taking the easy route! If I stand a chance to run against Usain “lightning” Bolt then I need to do some serious training! That’s why I would cross the ocean in an old paddle boat ferry that is powered solely by my treadmill! That way the only way I’m racking up those nautical miles is by running them! By the time I get there I’ll be ready! 🙂
Should I need to get to Jamaica on my feet, I would first run down to Key West, Florida. Next, I’d get one of the large water tricycles and hopefully make it the ~90 miles to Havana, Cuba (don’t tell the US government!). After brushing up on my Spanish while running through and exploring the Cuban countryside I would try to take another water tricycle ride down to Jamaica. By the time I make it to Jamaica to train with Usain Bolt I would hope to be in great shape based on thousands of mile I’ve traveled by foot!
I’d first run to the Mississippi river and find a huckleberry Finn style paddle boat. I’d rig it up so the paddle wheel is powered solely by my treadmill on the main deck. Next I’d begin the journey down the Mississippi and pull over in new Orleans to pick up some Cajun food and mardi Gras-ers and take the party to Jamaica!
I would walk from Toronto to Montreal
With Puma Faas on my feet
I’m sure my toes would feel magnifique!
Then down by the port
I’ll find a hovercraft, with a turbine powered by a treadmill
What a novel thought!
Walking and sailing in my green machine
I’ll be stepping closer to my dream
And eventually I’ll reach those golden shores
Where Usain will greet me, with hearty applause
And I’ll challenge him to a race
My legs built like a horse, after using my legs for oars
I would walk from Toronto to Montreal
With Puma Faas on my feet
I’m sure my toes would feel magnifique!
Then down by the port
I’ll find a hovercraft, with a turbine powered by a treadmill
What a novel thought!
Walking and sailing in my green machine
I’ll be stepping closer to my dream
And eventually I’ll reach those golden shores
Where Usain will greet me, with hearty applause
And I’ll challenge him to a race
My legs built like a horse, after using my legs for oars
I would run to the coast, rent a paddle board and paddle my way through the ocean to Jamaica, only to find the last 10 miles of water covered by sharks. Which I would easily jump kick in the gills (with my new Puma Faas 500’s) every time one would jump out of the water to take a bite at me. After I made it to the shore safely, I would stretch before my 500yd dash across the quicksand (which Jamaica is famous for, it’s what Usain Bolt trained in). Then after successfully sprinting across the quicksand, Usain Bolt would find me taking a rest under some palm trees and we would begin training after a nice long break.
Honey if you want me to FLY to Jamica I CAN in these things!!!
These FAAS 500’s are amazing & so lite on my feet I’m gonna look like
Forrest Gump with a whole slew of folks behind me on the way there! LOL
(Notice I said “behind me”) Thanks Puma 🙂 the Faas 500’s ROCK!
I have the new version of these shoes in white-silver-black for men’s and all I can say is, DAAAAMMM, these shoes are perfect in any way, shape or form, bought these to replace the Nike Free Run 2s and definitely not going to run with any other shoe. 1) Very lightweight, 2) provides better cushioning than the frees , 3) good fit and comfortable, (especially in high mileage runs) 4) good stability in fast turns, 5) helped my legs heal from shin splints the frees were giving me. Overall, these are the BEST!
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