Under Armour earned a bad rep among runners early on and hasn’t been able to shake it. Today, the most popular complaint with Under Armour’s current shoes is that they’re too firm. I happen to agree with the sentiment, based on the UA shoes I’ve tried over the past year or so, including the Machina 3 Clone and the Flow Velociti Elite. That broad derision, however, is based on an antiquated view of the brand. Under Armour has learned from its mistakes, and its recent shoes are better, with improved cushioning foams and supportive, well-fitting uppers. Despite the derision, many runners have found success with UA shoes: Most notably, Sharon Lokedi won the 2022 New York City Marathon wearing a pair of Flow Velociti Elites.

HOVR Foam: It is not a hugely soft ride. The Pegasus 37 and Clifton 7; they are both way softer. But you can definitely feel the softness of the HOVR Foam, especially if you are a heel striker. It is an incredibly responsive shoe, fine for long runs or shorter tempo efforts. With its relatively low weight, tough outsole, and smooth ride, it’s a standout choice for everyday training and walking, too—and you won’t have to spend a fortune to get a pair. I had found that the shoe ran pretty true to size in terms of both length and width. I think the heel and toe box area had a lot of space to work with, which is good for those with wide feet. Not very much overall comfort

The sole has pronounced toe spring, where the sole curves upward off the ground under your toes, which helps you roll smoothly from landing to toe-off. It’s topped off with a knit upper that boasts good breathability and creates a secure fit. In terms of durability, it's hard for me to take an adequate guess. Just for the fact that the outsole has a lot of coverage and it seems like the rubber material would actually have a lot of durabilities, but I just have little experience with Under Armor's HOVR midsole and I'm not sure how long it would last. That being said, to just play it safe I would put the shoe in about the 300-mile range which is pretty standard across the board for shoes.

The weight of the HOVR Phantom 2 is one of the things that also cause the shoe to be very underwhelming. It weighs 11.5oz/327g., which is very heavy for a running shoe (average weight for road running shoes is 9.7oz/274g. It definitely just feels heavy and dead underfoot, so this is not a very responsive or fast shoe. Just fine durability The Hovr Machina 3 Clone is a step up from its predecessors. Its redesigned midsole features two types of Hovr foam: A firmer version in the forefoot, and softer one in the heel. The combination creates strong impact absorption on landing and more lively toe-offs. That said, don’t expect a super bouncy shoe–the Machina felt decidedly firm in my testing. The HOVR Phantom 2 is an awesome running shoe. Looks great, very responsive and fast, yet durable. If you don’t mind a few extra grams, then go for it.Along with companies like Hoka and On, Under Armour is part of a “new” wave of running shoe brands that launched in the past few decades. Founded by University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank in 1996, Under Armour’s technical base layers rapidly gained popularity among athletes, leading to broader appeal for shorts, sweats, and other athletic apparel. The HOVR foam is incredibly soft. It is probably the softness foam on the market. However, it is enclosed in a cage (wall of harder EVA foam) so a lot of the softness gets lost. A unique midsole has a harder EVA cage surrounding a soft HOVR midsole foam that feels like a cushion. And just like Under Armour’s other running shoes, the Elite’s Flow midsole is designed to be durable, so there’s no need for a separate rubber outsole. Cutting the rubber out of the design makes the shoe substantially lighter, giving it an edge over racers from other brands (including the Endorphin Elite and the Vaporfly). The ultralight upper on top provides a close wrap around the foot and maximum breathability, so your feet stay cool even when you’re really cranking. The Hovr Phantom used to be Under Armour’s max-cushion shoe, but the Mega 3 has eclipsed it. This plush trainer features even more midsole foam than the Phantom, along with a new Clone upper. If you want all the padding, the Mega 3 Clone has it.

The underside of the Flow layer has an undulating pattern of grooves that reliably grip the road. And, in standard Under Armour fashion, it’s durable enough to withstand repeated impacts, so the shoe won’t wear down after a few miles, unlike most shoes with exposed midsoles. That means there’s no need for a separate, heavy outsole, which shaves off considerable weight. Finally, the outsole is made from a combination of lightweight blown rubber and tough carbon rubber. The blown rubber reduces weight, while the carbon rubber, placed under the heel, adds durability where you need it most. Both materials are scored with grooves, boosting the shoe’s flexibility. In all honesty, the Under Armor HOVR Phantom 2 was a miss for me. It looked promising and cool from the outside but in terms of actual running performance there was nothing I loved at all, nonetheless liked. I think the HOVR Phantom 2 looked good and would be a fine casual or even gym workout shoe, but for running, it just was not good. The HOVR Phantom 2 is definitely one of the heaviest high mileage trainers on the market Cool things about this shoe Derived from olefin wax, Hovr creates a firm feeling at toe-off, which helps you push hard and maintain fast paces. Under Armour uses Hovr in its training shoes, giving models like the Infinite 5 and Machina Clone 3 a firm, but smooth feel underfoot.The UA HOVR Phantom 2 is a high mileage everyday training shoe. Think Pegasus, Nimbus, Clifton, Triumph etc. This shoe feels good, looks good, and rivals all of those.