Under Armour shoes have not always had the best reputation. Their clothes have found their way into many runner’s rotations but I would wager that there are a lot less of their shoes on our reader’s racks. However, the Under Armour Velociti line up has had a revamp this year. Gone is the Flow foam replaced by HOVR+ which is a lighter, more responsive super critical foam compound. It has lost a little weight and 2mm in the heel since the version 2.
Is this a shoe which moves Under Armour into the elite end of the shoe market? Sharon Lokedi certainly gave a good advert for the shoe on the streets of New York with podium finishes in both the NYC Marathon and Half Marathon. How does it work for mere mortals?
Upper and Fit of the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
What works for me
Having no experience of Under Armour shoes, I had no preconceptions about fit. Sliding them on foot was reassuring. The fit is true to size and has the snug fit which a raceday shoe should have. Lockdown has been no issue for me, I know that Alex and Josh had some issues with lockdown for himself. However, I have found that the last and upper works well with my foot shape.
The breathability is good, I have run some longer tempo sessions along with shorter reps and never had any problems with sweaty feet. Assisting this breathability is the lack of padding in the upper. There is a thin line of foam around the neck of the shoe with a little more foam around the achilles area. As far as racing oriented shoes go, it is a comfortable upper.
Along the toebox, there is a 1cm wide line of reinforcing overlay to cover some stitching. Thankfully, the visible stitching on the outside is well covered on the inside so there is no trace of it on the foot. Meanwhile, the tongue is very minimal with some padding at the top of the foot where the laces tie. I crank my laces fairly tight and haven’t suffered from lace bite.
The lace chain itself is reinforced with overlays and feels fairly robust. Along the chain, we find the now ubiquitous serrated race shoe laces. They stay tied, there is enough length for runners’ knots if you need them. They do their job.
Overall, it is a good, breathable and comfortable upper. It holds the foot tight and doesn’t cause any irritations or hotspots.
What doesn’t work for me
While there is nothing that doesn’t work for me specifically with the upper, the usual caveats apply for people with wide feet. This is a race shoe and fits like one. Furthermore, the heel counter is basically non-existent. There is no stoutness to it at all. If that is something you look for in a shoe, look elsewhere.
The other minor issue with the upper is that the tongue is not gussested. While this had no impact on the run, it does take some fiddling to get flat when putting the Velociti Elite 3. A gusset on each side would make putting the shoe on a lot easier.
Midsole and Ride of the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
What works for me
Under Armour have a reputation for firm shoes. Off the bat, the Velociti Elite 3 doesn’t really dispel this. That said, according to the paces on my watch the data on the Stryd Pods afterwards, it works very well for me. While the landing is definitely on the firmer side for a forefoot striker, it is very responsive and it bounces off the road well. The overall feel is like an earlier Saucony Endorphin model. It does not have the soft, marshmallow feel of a lot of superfoams on the market today. This similarity is furthered by the use of the beaded TPU style foam which looks like those models.
The aggressive rocker and toe spring help propel your run forward while making up for some of the missing bounce from the midsole foam. As Josh and Alex found in their YouTube review, it is a shoe which shines the most at higher paces. When pushing 5k pace and higher, it gives great response and the geometry really gets you on your toes.
The plate is positioned quite low in the foam stack. There is about 10mm of foam between the road and the plate in the forefoot. At the heel, there is a little more padding between the plate and road despite the very small 2mm drop. As a forefoot striker, this has a dual effect. Firstly, it means that the ride is quite stable for me. Firm foam and a low plate make for strong landings and easy push offs. Secondly, and more on this below, it is not a deep cushion underfoot.
If you prefer a firmer, stiffer shoe, then the Velociti Elite 3 will probably work very well for you. As a shorter distance race shoe, it offers snap, responsiveness and speed assistance. It will probably also be a good shoe if you run some of your sessions on a track where the surface can add some softness to the run.
What doesn’t work for me
We mentioned above that in the forefoot there isn’t much cushion with the plate position and firmer foam. I have found that this has been an issue for me. Sharon Lokedi may well have won marathons in the Velociti Elite 3, but I am not sure I would enjoy running one in them. For me, they lack the softness and cushion I would like to push over that distance. If you are someone who likes a softer shoe, this is not for you.
Next, if you are a heel striker, this may also be a trickier shoe for you. While the firmness and width of the forefoot make it a stable feel for me, the narrowness and tooling on the foam may make it a different proposition for heel strikers. Around the heel, the foam has been sculpted and trimmed to give a triple layer effect. If you land on either side of the heel, this may lead to extra collapsing.
Finally, the 2mm drop can lead to the shoe having a negative drop for heel strikers. Compressing the heel on landing will push it lower than the forefoot and this could give the calves and achilles a little extra stretch which could reduce its usefulness over longer distances.
This is a strange shoe for me. All my metrics from Stryd show that it is a very efficient and good shoe for me. It works very well and I can run fast and my legs still feel fine afterwards. That said, I am not a huge fan of the feel due to the forefoot landing issues I mentioned above. It is a shoe which probably suits a midfoot striker as they will get the best of both worlds. The cushion is more apparent there and they will experience the full length of the rocker.
Outsole of the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
Grip and Traction
For a race shoe, there is a generous covering of rubber. Aside from a couple of centimetres in the midfoot and the gap which exposes the carbon plate in the middle, there is a full coverage. On wet roads and pavements, I have managed to push the paces I want without worry. After about 70km, the rubber is still holding strong with no obvious signs of wear and tear.
Durability
I would imagine that this would be a shoe with good durability. As mentioned earlier, the firmer foam will help with durability. While other less dense and compressed foams will suffer from being overly compacted, this will probably not be too much of an issue for the Velociti Elite 3. With the reinforcements in the vital places, the upper will have some good durability too. While it feels a little plasticky, the mesh seems like it will last.
Conclusion
Value for Money
At £225 this sits in the mid tier of race shoes. The value really comes down to what you are looking for. If it is a shoe which contains all the most modern feeling foams and great softness, this will not fit those criteria. However, if you want an aggressive, responsive shoe to take you over shorter distances and training sessions with the likely durability, this could well be a good buy for you.
Fitting it into a shoe rotation
This is for fast sessions and racing only. For me, it doesn’t have the softness to wear for slower runs or recovery. While it can handle the warm up and such, I wouldn’t want to run extended periods at lower paces due to the stiffness. The sweet spot for me in the Velociti Elite 3 is 5 – 10km and workouts to lead up to those races.
Final Verdict
The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 is an interesting shoe. It is fast and responsive but lacks the soft depth of cushion of most other modern super shoes. If you want a firmer ride which excels at shorter, faster distances, this might be the move. With a price around the HOKA Rocket X3, it is a good proposition for me. It is a shoe which can take you from training session to race without worry of killing the foam too soon. That said, it is a very capable shoe which, given the right runner, will propel you to many a PB.
Comparisons Against Similar Shoes
Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 vs. Nike Vaporfly 4
The Vaporfly is a much lighter shoe, coming in at 30g lighter, the Vaporfly offers a softer feel and probably a more aggressive ride. The Vaporfly 4 is also available much cheaper with many deals on offer. If stability is your thing, it is probably work looking at the Velociti Elite 3. If going for something with a more familiar feel is your bag, head for the Vaporfly.
Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 vs. HOKA Rocket X3
Two quite similar shoes. The Rocket X3 is probably a little softer. The Velociti Elite 3 is probably a little more aggressive in its ride. Both are very durable shoes which probably sit a little off the top tier of race shoes but allow you to run sessions as well as races before the foam dies.
Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 vs. Diadora Gara Carbon 3
Both firmer race shoes. Both are good at top end paces. However, the Velociti Elite 3 is a lot more accommodating than the Diadora in the upper. Both have race fits but the Gara Carbon 3 is a very, very narrow shoe. Either is a good fit for a shorter race for most people. The price of both is the same. The choice here comes down to foot shape.
Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 vs. Skechers Aero Razor
The Skechers Aero Razor comes in £120 cheaper and 30g lighter. It also probably has a softer ride. Both shoes have a comfortable fit although the lockdown on the Skechers Aero Razor may be superior with the stouter heel counter. If you want to add something different to your rotation, either would probably work well for a range of runners.
Other People’s Takes on the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
Ivan’s Take on the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3
Overall, I have quite enjoyed running in the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3, though in different scenarios than Andy, and to start with the upper and fit I have almost nothing to criticize. I like the design language, especially in my black and fluorescent colorway, which stands out from many other race shoes, and the upper feels breathable, durable, and fits my foot shape exceptionally well. I did use a heel lock, mainly due to the slightly flimsy feeling heel cup rather than actual heel slippage, despite the heel not being particularly wide and lockdown is generally secure. The laces are great, and the non-gusseted tongue stays in place with a small amount of padding to prevent lace bite.
As for the ride, this is where my experience differs significantly from Andy, which likely comes down to our preferences for softness and differences in running mechanics. Unlike Andy, I found the Velociti Elite 3 to sit on the medium/soft side of my race shoes, and while he is a pure forefoot striker, I land more consistently on my midfoot. The cushioning is not too soft, but it provides a comfortable and noticeable squish on impact with a controlled, not overly aggressive rebound. The rocker is quite gentle, which limits efficiency for me at higher paces, and the gentle toe-off further reduces its effectiveness when pushing the pace. It still delivers a super shoe sensation but in a more approachable and forgiving package, making it more versatile and comfortable as an uptempo trainer for mixed-pace sessions.
Comparable options include the New Balance SC Elite v5, Saucony Endorphin Pro 5, Diadora Gara Carbon 3, and Hoka Rocket X 3, which I find to share some of the same strengths but also similar limitations.
The Velociti Elite 3 is also about 20 grams too heavy to truly compete with top-tier racing options, and beyond weight the transition from midfoot to forefoot lacks the snap I expect despite the stiff carbon plate and low drop. At times the heel feels somewhat disconnected from the forefoot during transitions, which reduces smoothness especially for my midfoot strike pattern. Where I enjoyed the shoe most was during uptempo workouts and fartlek sessions, performing best around marathon pace or slightly slower rather than at faster efforts. To become a true top-tier race option, it would benefit from weight reduction, especially by trimming some of the substantial outsole coverage, but that said I will absolutely keep reaching for it as it offers comfort and protection across a wider range of runs than most race shoes, making it one of my “cheat day” options.
