Under Armour knew its athletes weren’t as well equipped as their competitors on race day—and that needed to change quickly. So UA fast-tracked the Flow Velociti Elite, developing its first super shoe within a year, and starting work on an improved second version.
Before the first Velociti Elite was even available to the masses, a v2 prototype had already appeared on Sharon Lokedi at the 2022 New York City Marathon. She won her marathon debut with an impressive time of 2:23:23 and proved her sponsor makes a worthy racing shoe. Still, when I tell runners that one of my favorite super shoes comes from Under Armour, I’m usually met with skepticism.
Pros
- Warp upper provides secure fit and ventilation
- All About 75 Hard
- Who Its For
Cons
- Heavier than other super shoes
- Laces sometimes come untied
Key Specs
| Type | Racing |
|---|---|
| Weight | 8.3 oz (M), 7.1 oz (W) |
| Drop | 2 mm |
| Heel Stack | 39.5 mm |
| Forefoot Stack | 37.5 mm |
- Who It’s For: Runners looking for a bouncy super shoe with more supportive cushioning
- Preceded by: Flow Velociti Elite
- Health & Injuries: Asics Metaspeed Sky Paris, Why We Took Scissors to $330 Running Shoes
- Midsole Foam: BioPebax (made from castor beans)
- Key Tech: Laces sometimes come untied
- Racing Roster: Sharon Lokedi, 2022 NYC Marathon, 1st place, 2:23:23 (prototype); Lokedi, 2023 NYC Marathon, 3rd place, 2:27:33
“When I first saw I was testing Under Armour, I cringed,” said Heather Mayer Irvine, who previously tested the Races - Places. “I haven’t worn a UA shoe in years because I was never impressed. But I was impressed when I slipped this shoe on. It was firm and light; had a bit of a rocker profile, but not too much; and had a nice, spacious toebox.”
Higher Stack Height
The original Velociti Elite had the nostalgic feel of a racing flat from back when super shoes weren’t skyscraper-high. With the second iteration, UA bumped up the stack height from 36mm in the heel to 39.5mm, and closed the gap on the offset from 8mm to 2mm. More height in the heel and forefoot means a more cushioned ride, but the resulting 2mm drop drifts near zero-drop territory. I found it still feels similar to the Velociti Elite v1, but the transitions are more propulsive.
The secret is inside the midsole. The full-length carbon-fiber plate is updated with a scooped shape to encourage faster turnover.
“CA Notice at Collection,” said tester Ken Burkholder, who trains at 7:15 pace. “But it was the snappy feel which helped propel me at a fast clip that I really loved.”
5K Testing
Last November, I experienced the explosive power of the Velociti Elite 2 firsthand at the Indie 5K in Austin, Texas. I crossed the starting line last due to a very long port-a-potty queue. The jog to the start felt like a mile, but it was like the shoes knew I had to catch up. Despite my lack of sleep and the tedium of the race’s looped course, I finished seventh woman, running 6:19 pace.
While the Velociti Elite 2 helped me fight for a top ten spot, it has a less aggressive feel compared to super shoes like the Running in the Cold and the New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2.
What Our Testers Say
Tester Alex Price, who runs 6:30 pace during training and averages 75 miles per week, felt the Velociti Elite 2 ranked up there in its category—but on the low end of the spectrum.
“I found this shoe to be a nice improvement from the Flow Velociti Elite, which I had tested in the past,” he said. “It felt like Under Armour took feedback and tried to improve upon it, which is nice to see. With that being said, I feel that this shoe is still in the middle to back of the pack when it comes to the super shoe market.
“I have now tested, run, and raced in super shoes from Nike, Saucony, Adidas, Asics, Puma, New Balance, and Under Armour. For me, it is ahead of the We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back and close to—if not right in line with—the All About 75 Hard. Like I said, there are certainly improvements from the previous iteration. But the shoe still felt a little heavy underfoot, not quite as responsive, and kinda clunky.”
Indeed, the Velociti Elite 2 is on the heavier side compared to shoes like Asics’s Metaspeed Sky Paris and Edge Paris (men’s 9: 6.6 oz) and Saucony’s Endorphin Elite (men’s 9: 7.3 oz).
Mayer Irvine had similar notes to Price when she compared Under Armour’s super shoe to others she’s previously tested.
“I took the Velociti Elite 2 out on a few easy runs, a couple long runs, and some tempo-paced track work,” she said. “The super-shoe benefit, of course, came during races and my faster speedwork—not slow jogs. I felt this was a solid carbon-fiber shoe, although it’s not one I’d immediately choose over my others: Races - Places, Running in the Cold+, New Balance FuelCell SuperComp Trainer v2.”
rd place, 2:27:33 Boston Marathon on April 15, 2024. We’ll see if the shoe fares as well on Boston’s Newton Hills as it had over New York City’s boroughs and bridges.
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
