Beneath Armour Circulation Velociti Elite Introduction
As one of many largest sports activities manufacturers on this planet, Beneath Armour could be very, very late to the carbon fibre tremendous shoe celebration. Nike launched their Vaporfly 4% in 2017 and now, solely 6 years later, Beneath Armour has globally launched their first tremendous shoe.
The Velociti Elite takes inspiration from Beneath Armour’s Velociti Wind coaching shoe. Each footwear use Warp uppers and don’t have any outsoles however use the Circulation midsole foam because the outsole.
Once I tried the Velociti Wind, I preferred the graceful transitions and padded landings however the trip wasn’t mushy or energetic sufficient for me so as to add it into my rotation. It was comparatively mild for an Beneath Armour coach and I loved how agile it felt.
The Velociti Elite is the primary Beneath Armour operating shoe to have a full-length carbon plate in its midsole. It’s additionally the primary UA shoe to characteristic their Pebax 44C midsole foam.
The Velociti Elite was worn by Sharon Lokedi when she gained the 2022 New York Metropolis marathon in her marathon debut however this doesn’t inform us a lot concerning the shoe as a result of a great runner might use any shoe and nonetheless win. The win has created much more hype for the shoe’s launch although.
The Velociti Elite weighs 7.7 oz (218 g) for a males’s US9 which is a really aggressive weight. It has 36 mm/28 mm midsole stack heights that are fairly a bit decrease than the marathon tremendous footwear from different manufacturers that are available in at or near 40 mm within the heel.
It’s priced at $250 which is similar value because the Nike, Adidas, ASICS, Brooks and Hoka tremendous footwear.
Beneath Armour Circulation Velociti Elite First Impressions
I used to be fortunate sufficient to get invited to the launch occasion of the Velociti Elite right here in Malaysia. Once I held the shoe in my arms for the primary time and I inspected it, I used to be stunned that there wasn’t any strobel lasting beneath the insole- you possibly can see the midsole foam. This was the primary time I’ve seen this in a racing shoe. Normally racers want the lasting in order that your ft don’t sink down into the froth a lot.
My first run was a exercise consisting of two km and 1 km intervals. I used to be disenchanted with the trip of the Velociti Elite as a result of it felt extra like a racing flat than an excellent shoe. The trip felt flat with out a lot velocity help from the only real and it felt rather a lot firmer than I anticipated it to.
It jogged my memory of two footwear: the UA Velociti Wind due to the same sole setup and the Adidas Adizero Professional which was one other agency, carbon tremendous shoe that felt like a racing flat. The Velociti Elite felt a tad softer than the Adizero Professional although.
The landings felt padded and easy as a result of absence of outsole rubber however the shoe was significantly missing in bounce and power return which is a must have for a marathon tremendous shoe.
Beneath Armour Circulation Velociti Elite Higher
The higher of the Velociti Elite is among the extra comfy tremendous shoe uppers, it’s accommodating and lockdown is superb, nonetheless, it has some critical sturdiness points.
Throughout my first run, the tongue ripped, near the underside as a result of it’s so skinny and has micro perforations. I discover it too skinny and I can really feel the lacing stress via the tongue. It’s additionally non gusseted so it slides downwards throughout runs.
The Warp 2.0 mesh is extraordinarily porous and breathability is excellent. It additionally gained’t decide up a lot sweat throughout races in heat climates.
The match is spacious and accommodating within the midfoot, forefoot, and toe field; I like to recommend going true to measurement. For me, it really works greatest with medium or thick socks.
Beneath Armour Circulation Velociti Elite Sole Unit
There are a couple of the reason why the Velociti Elite looks like a racing flat and never an excellent shoe. The primary purpose is that its midsole is so agency. The Pebax layer on high in addition to the supercritical Circulation layer on the backside don’t compress that a lot so the midsole could be very dense.
With such a dense, agency midsole, the carbon plate inside it could possibly’t journey rather a lot when it’s loaded so there’s no springboard propulsion. Decathlon’s KD900X additionally had the identical drawback as a result of it too had a Peba midsole which was too agency.
The second purpose is that there isn’t a excessive toe spring to hurry up transitions so the trip simply feels flat. There’s no rocker to enhance effectivity and your ft must do a lot of the work.
The third purpose is that the Velociti Elite is just 36 mm within the heel so it doesn’t really feel like a contemporary, maximalist racer. It’s not such a tall shoe and your foot doesn’t sit very excessive off the bottom in comparison with different tremendous footwear.
It feels a lot better at quick paces beneath 5 minutes per kilometre than sluggish paces as a result of it has a agency forefoot which you can push off from, nonetheless, the agency forefoot can really feel harsh throughout longer distances in case you aren’t used to a agency trip.
The Velociti Elite doesn’t have a mushy trip however it has loads of cushioning, sufficient for a full marathon. I did 40 kilometres in it one Saturday morning and whereas it wasn’t a enjoyable expertise, it protected my ft nicely sufficient for the total distance and I used to be capable of get well comparatively shortly.
I really feel that it’s greatest suited to brief, quick stuff like intervals and brief threshold runs the place you don’t want lengthy distance consolation or energy-saving effectivity. It additionally has higher stability than most tremendous footwear as a result of agency trip so it’s simple to nook in it.
The 1.2 mm carbon plate within the Velociti Elite has some flexibility so it’s not a particularly stiff shoe. I would like the plate to be extra inflexible which might lead to a snappier forefoot with extra propulsion.
Landings are distinctive and extra padded than some other tremendous shoe as a result of Circulation midsole which varieties the outsole. This supercritical model of Circulation feels softer and extra forgiving than the model that’s within the Velociti Wind. Sturdiness is far worse although due to the softer density.
After 80 kilometres of testing, the outsole on my pair has been ripped up by the street on the lateral heel areas the place I strike. Outsole sturdiness is extraordinarily low and it is a racer that ought to solely be used for races.
Grip however is superb. There have been many occasions after I ran within the rain and the rubberless outsole supplied nice traction.
Beneath Armour Circulation Velociti Elite Conclusions
The Velociti Elite simply isn’t on the identical degree as the opposite tremendous footwear and it doesn’t provide a lot velocity help. I really feel sorry for quick Beneath Armour elite athletes like Sharon Lokedi and Stephen Scullion as a result of they might run sooner in a extra aggressive racer. A minimum of Beneath Armour has a carbon-plated racer now: it’s higher than having nothing and having their athletes run in blacked-out tremendous footwear from different manufacturers.
At $250, the Velociti Elite is manner too costly for what you get and I don’t advocate it. It has low outsole sturdiness and my pair had a tongue flaw the place it ripped on my first run. It additionally feels extra like an old style racing flat, not like a contemporary tremendous shoe- it doesn’t have good propulsion or punchy toe offs.
I most likely gained’t proceed utilizing the Velociti Elite in my rotation as a result of I discover it too agency, too flat and never a enjoyable trip. Beneath Armour wants to revamp the Velociti Elite: it wants a softer midsole foam, a extra aggressive toe spring and extra midsole stack peak.
When you have broad ft and also you want a racer with a spacious higher, the Velociti Elite is likely to be an possibility for you however it is advisable to be used to a agency trip and be nice with a low sturdiness.