REVIEW: UA Flow Velociti Wind

The Flow Velociti Wind is UA’s newest all-around trainer, and with this shoe, Under Armour is debuting a lot of new technologies. The shoe consists of three new features: a wrapped upper, the Flow midsole and a single piece outsole (which really is just the midsole material with a tread etched into it). The Flow Velociti Wind is designed to be a lightweight, desert-island kind of shoe – and I’m a big fan.

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Drop: 8 mm
Stack height: 26 mm
Weight: 241 g (men’s), 227 g (women’s)
Available: March 1
Price: $160 CAD

The upper

The Velociti upper incorporates the company’s WARP technology. This upper is mesh, like many shoes on the market, but what differentiates it is the use of directional tape that holds the foot in place, instead of adding a solid piece of fabric. The tape acts kind of like a seatbelt for your foot, giving runners the reinforcement they need at different points in their stride. The horizontal tape is for stability while landing and vertical tape for toe-off. I found this upper remarkably comfortable and the Velociti is certainly among the knit shoes that I’ve felt most secure in. 

The midsole

The midsole, Flow, is a single piece of material that offers a firm ride, with a nice pop at toe-off. This shoe has a lovely amount of rock to it, propelling you forward without changing how your foot moves. I found myself picking up the pace on my run accidentally, as the Velociti was encouraging me to push ever so slightly. To me, this is the perfect midsole for a tempo shoe – it performs at its best at a pace that’s just beyond easy. 

The outsole

One of the Velociti’s shining moments comes from its weight (or lack thereof). By removing the layer of blown rubber that’s traditionally found on the bottom of trainers, UA was able to lighten up this shoe significantly. I was admittedly skeptical about the traction quality from an etched-in outsole, but I put it to the test, and it exceeded my expectations. On packed snow, this shoe gave me full grip. It also performed well on loose gravel and (obviously) dry roads, too.

Final thoughts

This lightweight shoe packs a big punch and is certainly a model to consider for many kinds of runners. If you’re someone who’s looking to only purchase one shoe for all of your training, this could certainly be it. If you’re the kind of runner who works with a rotation of shoes, lace these up on your tempo day. The only person I would exempt from this recommendation is someone who needs a little more support or tends to overpronate, as this is a very minimal, neutral shoe. The combination of a great ride, strong traction, lightweight, and extremely fair price point makes this an ideal trainer. If you’re in the market for a new shoe this spring, be sure to consider the Velociti.

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