The All New PUMA Mobium Ride V2

Puma Malaysia recently brought in the latest version of the Mobium series. There are 2 variants to choose from; the Mobium Elite Speed and the Mobium Ride.  After looking at the profiles of the shoe and some fickle minded moment, I finally made my choice on the Mobium RIDE.  Since I have always profile myself as a 'Neutral' runner, so the pronation/supination concept has never made much difference in my choice of running shoes all these while, so when Tim from Puma warned me that the Mobium RIDE is designed more for flat footers, I just said ok.  Not only that, I later learned that the Mobium Ride is built as an everyday running shoe for heel strikers, and I am a midfoot striker.

Runners whom are familiar with the Mobium will know that the Mobium series are designed with 3 key features; the concept of  Mobium Band, Expansion Pods and Windlass Chassis and this is still applicable for new Mobium Ride.

The Mobium Band 2D

There is a significant difference between the Mobium Ride with the other Mobium series; the Mobium Ride features the Mobium Band 2D which is supposed to be built for a heel striker and it looked flat like the picture below. (There is a picture below which compares with the older Mobium version)

In the photo above you can see the Mobium Band 2D which is run from the heel to medial forefoot. (in light blue).  The function of Mobium Band 2D is to conjoin the lateral heel and medial forefoot and to assure natural pronation and maximum energy returns. Which means this is good news for heel strikers, as it uses physics to make every stride more efficient.

The UPPER

Also, the Mobium Ride v2 has an upper which come with the 'adaptive fit' concept which according to Puma, employs a blend of pliable materials that adhere to the contours of the foot, therefore allowing expansion/contraction to give that fit and secure feel to the wearer. I personally like the space in the toebox, the breathable mesh and also the sock liner.

The shoes is really user friendly. I got used to them immediately even though I wear them without socks and during my first run with the shoes, I managed to clock 15 km without any complain of chaffing or blister.  Also they came with heel tabs so that the shoe can be slipped on and then removed with the use of a single finger with ease. I bet triathletes will love these.

The CUSHIONING and OUTSOLE

Although the Mobium series comes with Expansion pods on the forefoot for delivering cushioning, flexibility and protection, but I must say, the Mobium RIDE delivers a much better cushioning compared to its predecessor.

The outsole is made up of blown rubber called EverRide compound yields which is meant to improved cushioning performance and accommodates an altogether smoother gait without compromising lightness in weight, and EverTrack technology which applies abrasion resistant rubber compounds to areas that are particularly prone to wear off and as such make sure that the shoe last longer.

I also read in the Puma literature that the Mobium RIDE comes with  decoupled heel crashpad at the rear of the shoe designed to take the hit from heel strikes and then smoothen them. I can't really comment about this feature though. 

Comparing the Old and New

If I were to do  a quick comparison of my last year's Mobium Elite with the Mobium RIDE, I think I will say there are much improvement in the area of comfort. I think the biggest difference is that the Mobium Elite has a more minimalist feel, whilst the RIDE offers a much more plush feel with generous cushioning. 

And if you look at the outsole, you will see the difference between the Mobium Bands of the 2 version. The new Mobium SPEED still maintain the slim and round band. I guess I will only talk about the new Mobium SPEED if I have the opportunity to try them.

 I have always treat the Puma Mobium as my strength and form workout shoes because of the different kind of stress that they delivery to my workout. But it feels that running in the new Mobium RIDE is much easier, although more both shoes gave almost the same workout effect, i.e.  they both return great energy on every  stride, and I always feel that I run in a very good form when I am in them.



In terms of look, the older version has a much more racer/minimalist look, whilst the Mobium RIDE looks has the day to day trainer look (and feel too). The color scheme is very appealing, and all the runners I came across will just notice that bright yellow/blue/silver without fail.

And if you need some time to get used to the older generation of Puma Mobium, I think you might find that the new Puma Mobium RIDE is a ride that is much easier to adapt to.

Here is a video from PUMA about all the technical stuffs behind the Mobium RIDE.