What we like about the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
RYAN: I mean, right off the bat, this is by far the best-looking Under Armour running shoe I’ve ever seen. It’s not that the last few Velociti Elite designs didn’t look good — they were fine — but this version actually looks sleek, it looks aggressive, and I dig the Seahawks-esque colorway. There’s just enough bright green for my liking, yet the Velociti Elite 3 doesn’t skew quite far enough into the middle school boy neon to where I wouldn’t be caught dead in it.
Honestly, perhaps the reason I like the Velociti Elite 3 so much is because I can’t shake the Saucony Endorphin-ness of it all. From the beaded Hovr Plus foam that reminds me of PWRRUN PB to the crazy forefoot rocker, it feels like Under Armour is copying just a little bit of its homework (which is both good and bad, as I’ll get to). Luckily for Under Armour, I have fond memories of the early Endorphin generations, right down to the visible wings in the middle of the carbon fiber plate.
Under Armour also seems to have struck the right balance between an ultra-light upper and carefully considered padding, as far as I can tell. There’s not a whole lot of structure through the forefoot and midfoot, just some light seam taping and a little reinforcement around the lacing eyelets. However, there’s a generous cushion right along the heel that keeps it comfortably locked in place without rubbing. I’ve run in enough shoes that have gone entirely minimalist with their heels, so it’s a nice change to feel a little support.
Between the heel padding and the very flexible Leno Weave upper, I have to give Under Armour some credit for achieving a pretty reliable fit. I’m probably closer to a US M7.5 than the US M8 I was sent, but I’ve had no issues cranking down the laces and treating the shoe as if it had a more natural toe box. That’s high praise, considering how much I dreaded running in Topo Athletic’s Specter 2, the last wide-toed, speedy shoe I tried.
