Always looking to up its game in run specialty, Under Armour today unveiled its latest high-performance running show, the UA Flow Velociti that promises runners “the feeling of the wind at your back.”
The UA Flow Velociti Wind boasts a disruptive design and all-in-one cushioning system that eliminates the rubber outsole and is described as a “lightweight yet supportive shoe that would perform for elite runners in their most taxing workouts.” In essence, UA designers removed the heaviest part of the shoe – the outsole – without sacrificing durability or traction.
The UA Flow Velociti Wind launches globally on March 3, and will be available on UA.com, UA Brand Houses, premium run specialty accounts and select sporting goods accounts.
UA Flow is described as a responsive, grippy and supportive singular-foam compound that eliminates the rubber outsole, enabling Under Armour to create a high-traction running shoe.
The debut UA Flow Velociti Wind was designed and engineered to provide responsiveness and energy return, grippy traction and an engineered upper solution, UA Warp, that molds to the human form.
“Flow is smooth in every sense of the word,” explains Tom Luedecke, creative director of footwear innovation. “It’s a smooth experience while running in the shoes. It’s a smooth feeling when going through the entire gate cycle and foot strike. And it also feels smooth in the sense that it is lacking distraction. There’s nothing there that is getting in the way of you and your flow state.”
The development of UA Flow was executed in partnership between Dow and the Under Armour team including Innovation, Product Design, Biomechanics, Athlete and Consumer Insights groups, with more than 50 people involved in collectively bringing this new technology to fruition. Over 130 elite athletes ran more than 11,000 miles during the product wear testing phase of the UA Flow development process.
The UA Flow midsole technology made its debut in the basketball category with the launch of Stephen Curry’s signature shoe, the Curry Flow 8, under his new namesake brand. Working with the basketball legend meant the performance team could leverage their learnings across categories, and design footwear solutions for elite basketball and run athletes.
UA Flow, the lightest midsole technology in UA’s current running lineup, completely eliminates the rubber outsole, reducing the two-to-three ounces of weight that it adds, on average, from a traditional running shoe. The foam has naturally sticky traction, so traditional bulky overlays aren’t needed.
The UA Warp upper features supporting tapes that act like seatbelts on the foot, placed precisely where biomechanists found them to be most helpful for a runner. The tapes are in tension when you need them and relax when you don’t - eliminating any buckling and pinch points from traditional uppers built with continuous materials. The UA Warp upper then moves in unison with the foot, supporting it in each step to help unlock performance by improving the efficiency of the foot to shoe interface in each stride. UA Warp locks you onto the UA Flow midsole without getting in the way of the foot’s natural movement.
The DNA:
Weight: Men’s 9 - 8.5oz (214g) / Women’s 7 - 8.02oz (227g)
Price: $160 USD
Heel: 26mm
Forefoot: 18mm
Offset: 8mm
