Underneath Armour Move Velociti Elite Introduction
As one of many largest sports activities manufacturers on the earth, Underneath Armour could be very, very late to the carbon fibre tremendous shoe social gathering. Nike launched their Vaporfly 4% in 2017 and now, solely 6 years later, Underneath Armour has globally launched their first tremendous shoe.
The Velociti Elite takes inspiration from Underneath Armour’s Velociti Wind coaching shoe. Each sneakers use Warp uppers and haven’t any outsoles however use the Move midsole foam because the outsole.
Once I tried the Velociti Wind, I appreciated the graceful transitions and padded landings however the journey wasn’t gentle or vigorous sufficient for me so as to add it into my rotation. It was comparatively gentle for an Underneath Armour coach and I loved how agile it felt.
The Velociti Elite is the primary Underneath Armour operating shoe to have a full-length carbon plate in its midsole. It’s additionally the primary UA shoe to function their Pebax 44C midsole foam.
The Velociti Elite was worn by Sharon Lokedi when she gained the 2022 New York Metropolis marathon in her marathon debut however this doesn’t inform us a lot in regards to the shoe as a result of a great runner may use any shoe and nonetheless win. The win has created much more hype for the shoe’s launch although.
The Velociti Elite weighs 7.7 oz (218 g) for a males’s US9 which is a really aggressive weight. It has 36 mm/28 mm midsole stack heights that are fairly a bit decrease than the marathon tremendous sneakers from different manufacturers that are available at or near 40 mm within the heel.
It’s priced at $250 which is similar worth because the Nike, Adidas, ASICS, Brooks and Hoka tremendous sneakers.
Underneath Armour Move Velociti Elite First Impressions
I used to be fortunate sufficient to get invited to the launch occasion of the Velociti Elite right here in Malaysia. Once I held the shoe in my palms for the primary time and I inspected it, I used to be stunned that there wasn’t any strobel lasting beneath the insole- you can see the midsole foam. This was the primary time I’ve seen this in a racing shoe. Often racers want the lasting in order that your ft don’t sink down into the froth a lot.
My first run was a exercise consisting of two km and 1 km intervals. I used to be disillusioned with the journey of the Velociti Elite as a result of it felt extra like a racing flat than a brilliant shoe. The journey felt flat with out a lot pace help from the only real and it felt loads firmer than I anticipated it to.
It jogged my memory of two sneakers: the UA Velociti Wind due to the same sole setup and the Adidas Adizero Professional which was one other agency, carbon tremendous shoe that felt like a racing flat. The Velociti Elite felt a tad softer than the Adizero Professional although.
The landings felt padded and easy as a result of absence of outsole rubber however the shoe was enormously missing in bounce and power return which is a must have for a marathon tremendous shoe.
Underneath Armour Move Velociti Elite Higher
The higher of the Velociti Elite is among the extra snug tremendous shoe uppers, it’s accommodating and lockdown is superb, nonetheless, it has some severe sturdiness points.
Throughout my first run, the tongue ripped, near the underside as a result of it’s so skinny and has micro perforations. I discover it too skinny and I can really feel the lacing strain by way of the tongue. It’s additionally non gusseted so it slides downwards throughout runs.
The Warp 2.0 mesh is extraordinarily porous and breathability is superb. It additionally gained’t decide up a lot sweat throughout races in heat climates.
The match is spacious and accommodating within the midfoot, forefoot, and toe field; I like to recommend going true to dimension. For me, it really works finest with medium or thick socks.
Underneath Armour Move Velociti Elite Sole Unit
There are a number of explanation why the Velociti Elite seems like a racing flat and never a brilliant shoe. The primary motive is that its midsole is so agency. The Pebax layer on prime in addition to the supercritical Move layer on the backside don’t compress that a lot so the midsole could be very dense.
With such a dense, agency midsole, the carbon plate inside it might’t journey loads when it’s loaded so there’s no springboard propulsion. Decathlon’s KD900X additionally had the identical drawback as a result of it too had a Peba midsole which was too agency.
The second motive is that there isn’t a excessive toe spring to hurry up transitions so the journey simply feels flat. There’s no rocker to enhance effectivity and your ft need to do many of the work.
The third motive is that the Velociti Elite is barely 36 mm within the heel so it doesn’t really feel like a contemporary, maximalist racer. It’s not such a tall shoe and your foot doesn’t sit very excessive off the bottom in comparison with different tremendous sneakers.
It feels a lot better at quick paces beneath 5 minutes per kilometre than gradual paces as a result of it has a agency forefoot that you could push off from, nonetheless, the agency forefoot can really feel harsh throughout longer distances in case you aren’t used to a agency journey.
The Velociti Elite doesn’t have a gentle journey nevertheless it has loads of cushioning, sufficient for a full marathon. I did 40 kilometres in it one Saturday morning and whereas it wasn’t a enjoyable expertise, it protected my ft nicely sufficient for the total distance and I used to be in a position to get better comparatively shortly.
I really feel that it’s finest suited to quick, quick stuff like intervals and quick threshold runs the place you don’t want lengthy distance consolation or energy-saving effectivity. It additionally has higher stability than most tremendous sneakers as a result of agency journey so it’s straightforward to nook in it.
The 1.2 mm carbon plate within the Velociti Elite has some flexibility so it’s not an especially stiff shoe. I would favor the plate to be extra inflexible which might end in a snappier forefoot with extra propulsion.
Landings are distinctive and extra padded than another tremendous shoe as a result of Move midsole which kinds the outsole. This supercritical model of Move feels softer and extra forgiving than the model that’s within the Velociti Wind. Sturdiness is way worse although due to the softer density.
After 80 kilometres of testing, the outsole on my pair has been ripped up by the highway on the lateral heel areas the place I strike. Outsole sturdiness is extraordinarily low and it is a racer that ought to solely be used for races.
Grip alternatively is superb. There have been many occasions once I ran within the rain and the rubberless outsole supplied nice traction.
Underneath Armour Move Velociti Elite Conclusions
The Velociti Elite simply isn’t on the identical stage as the opposite tremendous sneakers and it doesn’t provide a lot pace help. I really feel sorry for quick Underneath Armour elite athletes like Sharon Lokedi and Stephen Scullion as a result of they might run quicker in a extra aggressive racer. Not less than Underneath Armour has a carbon-plated racer now: it’s higher than having nothing and having their athletes run in blacked-out tremendous sneakers from different manufacturers.
At $250, the Velociti Elite is approach too costly for what you get and I don’t advocate it. It has low outsole sturdiness and my pair had a tongue flaw the place it ripped on my first run. It additionally feels extra like an old-fashioned racing flat, not like a contemporary tremendous shoe- it doesn’t have good propulsion or punchy toe offs.
I most likely gained’t proceed utilizing the Velociti Elite in my rotation as a result of I discover it too agency, too flat and never a enjoyable journey. Underneath Armour wants to revamp the Velociti Elite: it wants a softer midsole foam, a extra aggressive toe spring and extra midsole stack peak.
When you have extensive ft and also you want a racer with a spacious higher, the Velociti Elite is perhaps an possibility for you however you should be used to a agency journey and be positive with a low sturdiness.
