Under Armour sent me my own pair of the new Flow Velociti Wind, so I’m very excited to test them out. Here are my first impressions of this lightweight performance running shoe.
(If you’re interested in general specs of the UA Flow Velociti Wind, check out my earlier post.)
The UA Flow Velociti Wind is amazingly light on the feet, and has a great low-to-the-ground feel. Unlike the highly cushioned shoes I’ve been using so far, this shoe doesn’t make me feel like I’m wearing platforms.
Fit
Because it’s a lightweight performance running shoe, the Flow Velociti Wind does have a race fit which means it’s snug. The toe box is also low, so if you have plump toes you might find them a bit squished by the upper. However, UA Warp featured in the upper is quite pliable and breathable, so it will conform to your foot without feeling like a vise grip so hopefully that will prevent any dead toenails. If in doubt, go up half a size.
Cushioning
My first workout in the Flow Velociti Wind was 10-second all out sprints with 3-minute recovery jogs in between. So I wasn’t really thinking about how much pavement-pounding I was doing. However, the next day my joints didn’t feel beat up; the only pain I had was soreness in my muscles because I hadn’t used them that way in a long time. (It’s been two years since my last speed session.)
Since these shoes are meant for speed sessions, tempo runs, fast long runs, and races, I will need to run some longer distances to tell if they can cushion my body for distances beyond 10K.
Support
This shoe is meant for neutral feet, so it doesn’t have any stability features per se. However, the fact that the sole isn’t too thick and has an 8mm drop means there’s less chance of a rolled ankle from stepping the wrong way. The UA Warp supportive “tapes” that create a web across the top of the foot also help keep your feet inside the shoe platform, so it feels very secure even when cornering at high speeds.
MapMyRun Connected
Like many of Under Armour’s newer releases, the shoes have a sensor embedded in the midsole which connects to the MapMyRun app and downloads estimated distance, pace, cadence, and even footstrike patterns for the app to crunch. I’ve already experienced this once with the UA HOVR Machina and I think they’ve made a lot of improvements in how the app analyses the data. It will be interesting to see how my running efficiency improves throughout my upcoming testing period.
The Under Armour Flow Velociti Wind is now available at Under Armour stores in the Philippines, retailing at P7,995. For more information, follow the official Philippines Under Armour distributor on Instagram at @athletesproPH.
