What is the best condition to start running (or to improve quickly)? Being followed by a coach!
Imagine now that your running shoes are talking to you. That’s right: you don’t just need them to run safely, faster and, most importantly, avoid injuries. As you run they observe and record how you do it and in the process tell you what (if anything) you can correct to do it better and better, more efficiently and economically. We are not talking about the shoes that will exist in the future but Under Armour running shoes: they are already there and you can have them.
It is strange to describe a pair of shoes for what they tell you as well as for what they are but in the case of the Under Armour models connected with MapMyRun you can’t help but do so. Because these are not only running shoes as such but also true digital running assistants that study and analyze you, to improve your running, just as sportwatches or fitbands do: tools that improve your life.
The Under Armour HOVR Infinite 3 and HOVR Machina 2 are two models of running shoes with distinctive features designed for different types of runners but with a smart heart. You can use them as normal shoes and run in them, or you can use them to run in them and get better at running, letting them study and talk to you.
To explain and understand them better, it is therefore fair to see them from two perspectives: as shoes and as intelligent assistants.
Let’s start with the first aspect.
HOVR Infinite 3
Freshly worn
As soon as you slip your foot inside the Under Armour HOVR Infinite 3 you have the feeling that you are in a shoe you already know, one that can go with you for lots and lots of miles without ever giving you a problem or making you feel like the ribbon of asphalt you are running on.
The upper is extremely comfortable, made in two layers with the second one-very breathable-that takes care of wrapping the foot properly, always securing it to the shoe firmly but never being intrusive. A kind of elastic mesh designed to give you confidence with every step.
But the most striking element is the comfort: the tongue and collar are padded so that you always feel comfortable, even when-during long outings-your foot tends to swell or lose support.
The feeling of comfort also comes from the midsole, which is soft and textured and – on the other hand – thanks to an 8 mm drop projects you slightly forward. The message it sends, even if you don’t realize it, is: we can go anywhere you want to go, and I’m here to make you run your best.
On road
This message is also confirmed when you run there. And I assure you, the way they are structured, they will most likely have a very long life at your feet-we have already seen this with intensive testing of the first version Infinte.
The Under Armour HOVR Infinite 3 are well-cushioned shoes but never lose feel on asphalt. Don’t expect a “cushion underfoot” effect, if anything, a midsole that-as it should be-absorbs landings properly and gives you back the right amount of energy when taking off. Step by step, never changing his behavior.
Another undoubtedly appreciable element from the perspective of “the right shoes for running” is the 8 mm drop: the perfect compromise to offload all the support from the heel by moving it more toward the forefoot without, however, overloading the calves and Achilles Tendon. I know this may seem like a bit of a nerdy detail, but it’s worth a lot because it indicates how these shoes are designed from the beginning to teach you how to take care of your footstrike and stride frequency, aspects that are necessary to properly take care of your technique.
To whom they address
At 302 grams, the HOVR Infinite 3 are perfect for those looking for a shoe for training any distance, even the longest. Of course, their ideal terrain is not 200-meter repeats on the track, but they also respond perfectly when accelerating or the training schedule includes stretches, fartleks or repeats.
HOVR Machina 2
Design and feeling
Of the Machina 2, one immediately notices the minimalist design and tone-on-tone coloring. Gray and with acid green details, navy blue, black, and fiery red-everything in these shoes has a dominant color, from the upper to the midsole. The latter is then harnessed into an Energy Web microgrid that contains and controls the energy stored in the HOVR midsole. The result is an aesthetically rewarding balance, as if these shoes have been dipped in a single color that connotes them and makes them seem to be made of a unique material, as if they have been carved into it.
When worn, they are surprising for several reasons: looking at the thickness of the midsole, one might think that they are very cushioned and soft, but instead they are very responsive and dry shoes, while not being stiff at all. The impression of dryness also fades as you run on it and especially as you increase speed: thanks to the Pebax propulsion plate-inspired by athletic spiked shoes-the more you move on the forefoot, the more readily and responsively they react.
Who will love them
Their neutral vocation makes them especially suitable for fast training: although they are not particularly light shoes (290 g-although they are perceived as lighter to the foot), their response is always prompt and they invite pushing. The feeling of bandaging and restraint is noticeable but never uncomfortable, and the fact that it fits firmly on the foot naturally leads to pushing through the run. While they have a good degree of protection and especially because of their responsiveness, they are suitable for long distances especially for light and fit runners while the average runner (perhaps not perfectly fit) can benefit greatly in more technical work. After all, it is their technological core that makes them perfect in finishing and optimizing athletic gesture training.
Let’s see how.
A technological heart: using MapMyRun
The secret of these shoes is in the Bluetooth sensor that talks to your cell phone providing data that is interpreted to improve your running style. In fact, analysis of cadence and stride length allows the MapMyRun app to read your running style, evaluate it, and provide feedback-if needed-to improve you. In addition to the HOVR Infinite 3 and the HOVR Machina 2, you can find this technology in the very fast Flow Velociti Wind and all models in the HOVR series (Sonic 4, Phantom 2, Velociti Trail and Velociti 3). You recognize them because they have a MapMyRun icon in the box certifying their compatibility.
“But I don’t feel like setting up apps and syncing everything myself!” We can already hear you saying it but you have nothing to fear: it takes very little time (really: a few seconds) to do it. When you first start the MapMyRun app, you will be asked to pair your shoes with your phone, and the process is super simple. Just bring it close to your right shoe, lay it on its side and move it as instructed, and taaac, magic: now your cell phone “sees” your shoes and talks to them.
Getting to know each other better to get better
The amazing thing is that you can then forget how smart and technological they are: these are “very normal” running shoes that “hide” a very small device sunk into the midsole. They weigh no more than similar shoes, nor do they have any visible sensors that can get in the way of your serenity while running-the technology is there but you can’t see it.
There are no other shoes like it, and Under Armour’s choice is in many ways meritorious: why not use the shoes not only to make you run but, indeed, to make you run better by providing continuous feedback? After all, it is the prince tool for making you run and especially the closest to where the action happens: at the point of contact between foot and ground.
Why focus on cadence and stride length? Because these are two parameters that affect many others: the overall speed, the overall stroke setting and its economy. Finally-not a minor detail-observing a certain cadence and stride length allows you to minimize injuries because running efficiently means doing it in the way that is capable of getting you to express maximum speed, with the least amount of energy expended, and with a setting that limits or cancels injuries.
Let’s talk
What is a workout with these shoes and the MapMyRun app like? You have two choices: you can use it “in the background” and at the end of training consult the analysis of your run in the form of a report or use live coaching that, through Alice’s voice, informs you of the usual parameters (kilometers traveled, average speed, etc.) and, if there is a need, how much and how your cadence and stride are respecting an ideal form, parameterized to the results you want to achieve and that you declared at the beginning, such as the average speed you want to express or the distance you want to cover.
Alice is always on time, fast, and helpful: in addition to giving you the numbers, she gives you great advice on how to improve your running (“Take shorter, faster steps,” “Push the ground under your feet,” “Broaden your shoulders and rotate your arms more”), and the frequency with which she talks to you can still be set in the app or the voice excluded. Personally, I must admit that it made me discover several smears, especially in the regularity of my cadence. Her corrective interventions were more frequent than I expected until I found a solution: to do everything to please her and avoid her making notes to me every 5 minutes. Well, yes: you can establish a human relationship even with a synthetic voice, and for many trainings my goal was to make it speak as little as possible. It was a fun challenge that I overcame only by concentrating very hard and devoting myself to running form and composure of gesture-a game that, in the end, proved very useful.
Stefano Lionetti, Martino Pietropoli tested the Under Armour HOVR Machina 2, Sandro Siviero used the Under Armour HOVR Infinite 3. They then compiled their impressions and user experience into a single post.