Below Armour has slowly and persistently been upping their sport with their running-specific sneakers. Whereas UA could also be a large when it comes to their basketball, baseball, and soccer presence, they’ve struggled to excellent their operating fashions. This 12 months they’ve appeared to bolster their line up by introducing a brand new light-weight every day coach as part of their Velociti line of sneakers: the Velociti SPD. The Velociti line seems to be to provide runners an brisk and performance-focused operating expertise. Have they nailed it with the Velocity SPD, or does the Baltimore-based athletic firm nonetheless have work to do? Let’s discover out.
Specs
Class : Light-weight every day coach
Drop: 8 mm
Stack : 32 mm/24 mm
Weight : 212 g (7.5 oz.)
Out there : Now
Value : $165
Higher
After I was a child, I used to be very pleased with my Below Armour basketball sneakers, however I don’t suppose I’ve had a UA shoe on my foot since then. I used to be pleasantly stunned as I laced this shoe up for the primary time, and located it match fairly properly. I had an irrational worry that Below Armour sneakers wouldn’t be constructed for my foot form or match my operating wants, however I’m joyful to say these sneakers actually did cross the match check. They felt safe within the midfoot, but in addition spacious sufficient for my toes to really feel snug. My M8.5 was true to measurement, and the skinny and breathable higher was snug and supportive.
The heel collar comes up fairly excessive on the Achilles tendon, nevertheless, I didn’t have an issue with any rubbing. Make sure to take note of this space if you’re making an attempt the shoe on for the primary time, as I can see it might trigger a problem for some runners. (I discovered it to be extra snug when sporting increased ankle or crew-height socks.) If I needed to examine this match to a different shoe, I’d say it’s much like the early Saucony Endorphin Velocity sneakers, or the Hoka Mach 7. It’s a bit on the slim facet by the midfoot, with a really safe heel and simply sufficient room within the toe-box.
Midsole
Below Armour makes use of their HOVR Plus midsole, which is a beaded supercritical foam, related to what’s discovered within the different sneakers from the Velociti lineup. Visually, the froth seems to be much like what Adidas used of their UltraBoost sneakers for years, though this foam is far lighter and performs significantly better than the unique UltraBoost. Underfoot, this shoe does a great job at being within the “goldilocks” zone when it comes to softness: it’s smooth, however doesn’t really feel like a marshmallow, however can also be not harsh or overly agency. It’s like vanilla ice cream–it isn’t going to offend you with its flavour.
The trip of the midsole is aided by a pronounced rocking sensation that helps you flip over your stride. Whereas the rocker is noticeable, the shoe nonetheless stays pretty versatile, so that you do want to have interaction your foot with every step. At solely 212 g for a males’s measurement 9, there are only a few frills on this shoe. I used to be impressed with the sensation of weightlessness underfoot, and was pleased with the simplicity of the trip.
Outsole
The outsole rubber on the underside of this shoe feels very grippy to the contact, and performs fairly properly. After about 35 km of testing, there is no such thing as a put on to talk of. The rubber ought to final for a beneficiant 600 km. I examined this shoe by a number of completely different climate, given our enjoyable April climate in southern Ontario. The shoe gripped properly in moist and dry situations and gave me confidence to take activates the street and on the observe at quite a lot of paces.
Verdict
The Below Armour Velociti SPD is a stable choice for individuals in search of a light-weight and responsive every day coach. I might advocate this shoe to anybody who’s in search of one shoe to do all of it, or runners who admire a comparatively simple-feeling shoe. At $165, I believe the shoe compares properly with different equally priced sneakers. If you’re in search of a straightforward entry into the Below Armour operating lineup, the Velociti SPD is a superb place to start out.
