BY You can’t help but notice the Under Armour logo practically everywhere you look these days. The brand’s global marketing push is paying dividends on the brand recognition front, and its product range has been expanding at a steady pace. The newest shoe to arrive is the Speedform Slingshot, built for medium distance roadrunners.
The one-piece upper with integrated insole is Under Armour’s Speedform signature, and it has proven to be such a success that it continues in the Slingshot. Essentially, the entire upper is formed with no internal seams and no separate lining for the bottom of your foot. The sides curve around and blend seamlessly with the bottom, mirroring the curve of the human foot.
The exterior of the shoe is not entirely original, though to Under Armour’s credit not many designs are completely new these days. There is a hint of the Nike Flyknit in the weave and styling, and this is no bad thing. There isn’t a separate tongue component beneath the laces, instead the inner portion of the upper extends over the top, where it meets the outer side.
It’s designed with varying levels of overall compression across the top, with medium-level compression across the heel, supported by a moulded plastic external heel support. The arch and instep have a tauter weave, while the toebox is reinforced internally but features a looser weave.
Underfoot, the Charged cushioning foam is as resilient and pliable as ever, with a segmented outsole that allows for maximum flex. Heel to toe drop measures in at approximately 8mm, and it’s one of the lighter shoes you can currently buy. There is a very low-profile and neutral feel to the step. While we’ve discovered that the Charged foam midsole can feel too soft for comfort to a section of runners used to a slightly stiffer midsole, it’s thinner here than in some other Under Armour models, giving it a more responsive mid-stride and better road feel.
Under Armour’s marketing literature claims that it’s a shoe designed for quick-paced distance runners, and it certainly feels the part. There is ample room in the toebox, even for most of us broad footed Asians.
The sock-like fit around the ankle allows the shoe to simply disappear into your foot. Without the associated pressures from traditional shoe collars, the usual tactile cues aren’t present, and you might find yourself looking down to see if you are actually wearing shoes because sometimes it feels like you’re running on nicely cushioned feet instead.
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