Under Armour is not necessarily a name you find yourself uttering when you think running shoes, but with shoes like the HOVR Machina coming to market, it might be time to take notice. Every model of Under Armour running shoes are connected out of the box with the UA running app which is designed to help everyday runners perform better. On top of that, the shoe uses the latest material technologies putting them right up there with the big boys.
Quick Details, Specs, and Availability
- Focus on maximum energy return along with maximum cushioning
- Comes in at 10.4oz or 295g for a US Men’s 9 and has an 8mm drop
- Retails at $150.00 USD and comes in 6 colors for Men and Women
Run Test
Alright so let’s get it out of the way, the color selection is striking, to say the least, and won’t be for everyone and when I opened that box, I was shocked as well. I moved past that though because the specs on the shoe are solid, the materials looked great, and the finish is incredibly solid. It was really unexpected for me especially after testing older Under Armour models.
On the foot, the cushioning is really solid and the fact that Under Armour put a Pebax plate inside here is almost unnoticeable. This plate provides another layer of responsiveness to the shoe giving you plenty of bounce. My first concern before running was the weight, a 10.7oz neutral road shoe is definitely pushing it a bit. In the run, however, this honestly disappears pretty quickly. It bounces really well and the carbon rubber outsole sticks to the ground like glue. The upper will probably run warm in the hotter months, but right now it’s honestly quite comfortable.
The last note on this is around the connected feature and we have said it before. While it works, we just don’t feel it is necessary to bake this into the shoe. There is enough technology that exists outside the shoe that you can use to improve performance in similar ways that overcomplicating your shoe design to support this just isn’t necessary.
Construction: Upper
The HOVR Machina uses an engineered mesh upper that is lightweight and breathable. It features an external heel counter for stability and the collar and tongue are well padded for comfort around the ankle. It also features hidden reflective details that really pop in the darkness.
Construction: Midsole
The midsole here is where things are rapidly improving. Using their updated HOVR foam, Under Armour has wrapped this with what they are calling a compression mesh. The idea is to add a level of responsiveness to the comfort of the foam. In addition to this, they have also integrated a Pebax speed plate which should also improve the shoe’s performance overall. This is their answer to another plate solutions in the market, but at this weight, it is more about making everyday runners a bit quicker.
Construction: Outsole
The HOVR Machina uses a full rubber outsole across high impact areas and then also adds carbon rubber in the heel for better traction and long term durability, especially for heel strikers.
Style & Aesthetics
These things really POP with color and don’t worry there is a black version as well. The primary color is honestly even hard to photograph but pinkish-orange is probably the best description we can come up with.
Overall Conclusion
To say we were surprised by the Under Armour HOVR Machina is an understatement, but we had no expectations going in. This highly cushioned yet responsive shoe is perfect for regular use and although it is heavier than we’d like, it is honestly pretty solid. In future iterations, we would love to see Under Armour drop their connected features so as not to overcomplicate the shoe design.
Learn more on the Under Armour website
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Check Out Other Reviewers Thoughts
As always, we gather together some of our favorite reviewers so you can get a well-rounded view of the shoe. Here are our favorites.
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