While Under Armour's first carbon-fiber plated racing shoes are its best running shoes yet, SportPlus.sg has some reservations on whether they would make the best choice for long distance racing
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.SG
There has been plenty of hype surrounding the launch of Under Armour's first ever full-length carbon fiber plated road racing shoes.
In fact, the shoe has even made its way onto the podium in international marathons among elite runners around the world, most notably with Sharon Lokedi when she won the 2022 New York City marathon in her marathon debut.
But just how good is the UA Flow Velociti Elite, and how does it stack up against other super shoes that have been released over the past two years?
Here we do a quick breakdown of the shoe based on first impressions after attending Under Armour's media event with elite runners over the weekend.
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.SG
First Impression
The Under Armour Flow Velociti Elite is designed as a racing shoe that is cushioned enough for a full marathon. While the overall stack height of the shoe is significantly lower than other super shoes, the soft midsole and the fact that it has no outsole rubber allows for smooth transitions and cushioned landings.
However, despite the addition of a carbon-fibre plate, there is little bounce and less energy return than quite a few of its competitors of the same bracket, and less cushioning makes the durability of the shoe a little suspect for longer distances, which leads us to categorise it as more of a short to middle distance racing shoe or a pair which you may wish to use for your interval trainings.
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.SG
What's New
The UA Velociti Elite is the first Under Armour running shoe to feature a full-length carbon plate in its midsole. It is also the first Under Armour shoe that has Pebax 44C midsole foam.
Comparisons and Inspirations
The UA Velociti Elite has kept the overall shape, look and feel of its first ever UA Flow running shoe - the UA Flow Velociti Wind, which serves more as a daily trainer.
Both shoes feature Warp uppers for a loose lockdown with no outsoles, although the UA Flow Velociti Elite's translucent upper and dynamic colourway gives it a more elite feel. Both shoes also use the Flow midsole foam as the outsole.
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.SG
Both the UA Flow Velociti Wind and UA Flow Velociti Elite offer a similar ride in terms of speed transitions and landings, with the key difference in that the Velociti Elite feels a tad more cushioned and lively. However in terms of speed assistance, you don't really feel much of the carbon fibre plate at toe-off until you really start opening up your strides, which is different from quite a few other super shoes such as the Nike Alpha Fly or ASICS Metaspeed Sky+.
Runners may also experience this shoe quite differently depending on each person's foot strike angle, running gait and stride length. If you are traditionally a heel striker and land less on your mid or fore foot, you might not feel the full benefit of this particular racing shoe.
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.SG
Shoe Specs
Upper
Warp™ 2.0 upper optimizes containment with lightweight lockdown & allows maximum breathability
Tongue
TPE sockliner for enhanced resiliency & bounce on every footstrike
PHOTO: JAEMS CHUA, SPORTPLUS.S
Technology
Features a full-length carbon fiber plate for more explosive lift-offs, UA's Flow technology that eliminates the rubber outsole and is designed for a more lightweight & seamless ride on a variety of surfaces, a one-piece Flow midsole for more responsive cushioning, enhanced outsole design and lugs that increases ground traction, and 360° reflectivity for added visibility in low-light runs
Offset: 10mm
Weight: 7.5 oz.