New Product Review: Under Armour Launches Innovative Running Shoe

US based Under Armour has unveiled the launch of Flow Velociti Wind.   Available in store from March 2021, this innovative running shoe with a disruptive design is sure to turn heads. Tested for over 11,000 miles, it’s all-in-one cushioning system that eliminates the rubber outsole promises a lighter, better state of running flow.

Getting into a state of flow

Designed to help runners get into  a state of flow  -that feeling of light, effortless high speed running. The UA Flow shoes are said to be incredibly light, responsive and  grippy. The supportive singular-foam compound eliminates the rubber outsole, enabling Under Armour to create an innovative, high-traction running shoe with nothing on the market like it today.

Created to help runners reach a state of flow

UA Flow was designed by the Footwear Innovation Team in Portland, Oregon, US. They partnered with some of the world’s best material science companies to bring a completely new footwear experience.

The designers focused on the simple idea: how could they make it feel like the wind is at your back with every stride?

The solution: think outside the box by eliminating the traditional rubber outsole completely, all while providing comfort, flexibility and traction with every step.  Tom Luedecke, Creative Director of Footwear Innovation had this to say:

“Flow is smooth in every sense of the word. It’s a smooth experience while running in the shoes. It’s a smooth feeling when going through the entire gate cycle and foot strike. And it also feels smooth in the sense that it is lacking distraction. There’s nothing there that is getting in the way of you and your flow state.”

5 Foot Flow Facts

1. The development of Under Armour Flow was executed in partnership between Dow and the Under Armour team including Innovation, Product Design, Biomechanics, Athlete and Consumer Insights groups, and many others.
2. Over 50 people involved in collectively bringing this new technology to fruition.
3. Over 130 elite athletes ran more than 11,000 miles during the product wear testing phase of the UA Flow development process.
4. Under Armour design teams spent three years, over 17 rounds of raw material testing, 9 rounds of bio-mechanical testing, 15 rounds of shoe testing, and over 11,000 miles of wear testing to come up with the all-new UA Flow midsole.
5. The Under Armour Flow midsole technology made its debut in the basketball category with the launch of Stephen Curry’s signature shoe, the Curry Flow 8, under his new namesake brand.

Working with the basketball legend meant the performance team could leverage their learnings across categories, and design footwear solutions for elite basketball and run athletes.

Under Armour product facts and stats

• • Weight: Men’s 9 – 8.5oz (214g) / Women’s 7 – 8.02oz (227g)
  • Heel: 26mm
  • Forefoot: 18mm
  • Offset: 8mm

Under Armour Technology development

Is this shoe really that special?

It’s certainly novel and clearly the UA Flow is disrupting the design of a traditional running shoe by completely eliminating the rubber outsole, reducing the 2-3 ounces of weight that it adds, on average, from a traditional running shoe.

UA Flow is the lightest midsole technology in UA’s current running line-up, bringing unparalleled lightweight cushion and long-lasting technology to the run category. The foam has naturally sticky traction, so traditional bulky overlays of the past aren’t needed.

Speed and support

At just 8.5oz (men’s size 9), this shoe is a solution for runners looking for speed and support in their tempo workouts, fast-paced long runs, and longer road races. This is what Madeline Kopp, UA Pro Runner had to say about her flow experience:

“These shoes feel weightless, almost as if there’s nothing there. Hitting flow state in a workout is much easier
when you have a shoe that moulds really well to your foot, is responsive to the ground, and is so lightweight, because I have no distractions.”

Bio-mechanically designed

Under Armour Warp is a ground-breaking upper that moulds perfectly to the human form to unlock performance. It features supporting tapes that act like seatbelts on the foot. These are placed precisely where our bio-mechanists found them to be most helpful for a runner. The tapes are in tension when you need them and relax when you don’t – eliminating any buckling and pinch points from traditional uppers built with continuous materials. Morgan McDonald, one of Under Armour’s Pro Runners confirmed the experience she had testing out the shoes.

“When I wear the UA Flow Velociti Wind, it feels like nothing’s weighing me down.”

More to come

Josh Rattet, Under Armour Vice President of Global Footwear said the company has been very deliberate and focused  in their quest to build an authentic and credible run brand over the past few years. They believe the UA Flow Velociti Wind is a testament to our team’s commitment to creating solutions to make all runners better.

The shoe will be available in stores from March 2021.