Under Armour Men's 3023017-004 Trainers

Product Information

This section is going to be a heartbreaker for some, but the ride was just not good. There are a lot of moments while running where I truly wanted to stop and just switch shoes but for testing purposes, I didn't. HOVR Foam: It is not a hugely soft ride. The Pegasus 37 and Clifton 7; they are both way softer. But you can definitely feel the softness of the HOVR Foam, especially if you are a heel striker. It is an incredibly responsive shoe, fine for long runs or shorter tempo efforts. And just like Under Armour’s other running shoes, the Elite’s Flow midsole is designed to be durable, so there’s no need for a separate rubber outsole. Cutting the rubber out of the design makes the shoe substantially lighter, giving it an edge over racers from other brands (including the Endorphin Elite and the Vaporfly). The ultralight upper on top provides a close wrap around the foot and maximum breathability, so your feet stay cool even when you’re really cranking.

The best shoes in the Under Armour lineup fall into two categories–everyday training shoes (including new models for trail running, like the Hovr Speed) and racing shoes. UA shoes can be a bit divisive—the brand gets routinely dragged by users on the Running Shoe Geeks subreddit because of the poor performance of its first running designs. The Velociti Wind 2 won praise from RW testers for its surprising durability and grip, and this new, updated design retains those attributes. The shoe still has a full-length layer of Flow cushioning, but it’s tweaked to be even softer and lighter, according to Under Armour. As I said before, the HOVR Phantom 2 just didn't do it for me for running in general. But if I had to recommend something, it would just be casual easy runs under 6 miles. I just had no enthusiasm or eagerness to run in the shoes. It had no responsiveness and was just not comfortable underfoot. Good breathability The UA HOVR Phantom 2 is a high mileage everyday training shoe. Think Pegasus, Nimbus, Clifton, Triumph etc. This shoe feels good, looks good, and rivals all of those. Under Armour earned a bad rep among runners early on and hasn’t been able to shake it. Today, the most popular complaint with Under Armour’s current shoes is that they’re too firm. I happen to agree with the sentiment, based on the UA shoes I’ve tried over the past year or so, including the Machina 3 Clone and the Flow Velociti Elite.In terms of the comfort of the upper, I would say it was pretty comfortable for the most part. The upper also just really conform to the foot in a really nice way. Footbed: There is no removable footbed/insert. There is simply a very soft inbuilt bed to rest your feet on. It’s nice. Narrow in the Forefoot: It is a tight fit and my feet are far from fat. If you have big toes or a broader forefoot, they will not be good. The Flow Velociti Elite is the thoroughbred of Under Armour’s running lineup. Designed to compete with elite racers like Saucony’s Endorphin Elite and the Nike Vaporfly, but with Under Armour’s distinctive and ultra-durable material design. In all honesty, the Under Armor HOVR Phantom 2 was a miss for me. It looked promising and cool from the outside but in terms of actual running performance there was nothing I loved at all, nonetheless liked. I think the HOVR Phantom 2 looked good and would be a fine casual or even gym workout shoe, but for running, it just was not good.

The Expert: I have tested running and outdoor gear for years, both as an editor at Runner’s World and as a freelance reviewer for InsideHook, Men’s Journal, and other outlets. I’ve written more about running shoes than any other category, and I have firsthand experience running in models from a range of brands, including Under Armour. I first wrote this guide in 2018, and I’ve updated it regularly as Under Armour releases new shoes and running shoe tech. What to Consider When Shopping for Under Armour Running ShoesThe Clone upper, a design feature found across the Under Armour running shoe line, is a woven fabric that’s crafted with a specialized stitch pattern that allows your shoe to adjust its shape to fit your foot when you put it on. The sole has pronounced toe spring, where the sole curves upward off the ground under your toes, which helps you roll smoothly from landing to toe-off. It’s topped off with a knit upper that boasts good breathability and creates a secure fit. With its relatively low weight, tough outsole, and smooth ride, it’s a standout choice for everyday training and walking, too—and you won’t have to spend a fortune to get a pair.

Outsole: Plenty of rubber provides for ample traction. The rubber seems durable and high quality. After 140km mainly on the road there is no wear that I can see.I had found that the shoe ran pretty true to size in terms of both length and width. I think the heel and toe box area had a lot of space to work with, which is good for those with wide feet. Not very much overall comfort The weight of the HOVR Phantom 2 is one of the things that also cause the shoe to be very underwhelming. It weighs 11.5oz/327g., which is very heavy for a running shoe (average weight for road running shoes is 9.7oz/274g. It definitely just feels heavy and dead underfoot, so this is not a very responsive or fast shoe. Just fine durability Midsole: UA call it ‘HOVR cushioning’. According to the company it involves ‘a full-length, soft HOVR surrounded by a mesh ‘Energy Web ‘ that creates a zero-gravity feel and energy return.’ Wow – zero-gravity feel!!!