A new fall offering in Puma’s popular Faas series: the 500 S running shoe. With a 4mm heel-to-toe drop, the 500 S makes it into the minimalist category. However, it provides significantly more cushioning than other minimalist favorites—like the New Balance Minimus and the Brooks PureProject—so it’s a good shoe for runners who want to transition to barefoot running but who prefer a soft landing.

Although it stays true to its slight form with tech features like FaasFoam+, the 500 S features a new PUMA blend of foam and rubber, which helps with resiliency and gives the shoe a “springy” feel.

The shoe is designed to encourage a mid-foot strike, which scores major points for heel strikers like me. But based on its traction capabilities, the 500 S does not qualify as an all-terrain shoe. Keep it on the road. For trail runs or even mud runs, I recommend the Puma Faas 500 Trail.

As for appearance, the Puma Faas has always been one of my favorite shoes based purely on design. The 500 S has the sleekness of a lifestyle shoe, which, together with its excellent performance features, earns it STACK’s stamp of approval.

For more details and to purchase the Puma Faas 500 S ($82.50), head over to Puma.