One minute review
The original Under Armor Flow Velociti Wind is arguably the company’s best running shoe to date and with the Wind 2 you get pretty much the same shoe, which works well for tempo runs and slightly increased the comfort to make it a nicer shoe that also lasts longer. to go.
Key specs:
Support: Neutral
Weight: 237g
Heel height: 8 mm
Under Armor has promised a more locked-in feel at the heel this time around, which is evident on runs and could make it a better fit for those looking for a touch of stability (although we’re not sure if it’s a change that would should be applied).
What’s left is the impressive traction you get from the rubber-less outsole on wet and dry surfaces, and an upper that offers plenty of comfort and structure to secure your foot. On top of that comes UA’s Flow cushioning technology, which offers a responsive ride that keeps you closer to the ground than most high-pile shoes, but also offers a good level of protection for running longer distances.
The changes feel minor though, and if you can get your hands on the original Wind, you’re still getting a great, versatile everyday trainer that offers some of the best running technology Under Armor has packed into a shoe.
Price and release date
The Under Armor Flow Velociti Wind 2 was launched in March 2022 and costs $160 / £140 / AU$200. That’s the same price as the original Flow Velociti Wind when it debuted in 2021, and you can now get the older shoe for significantly less. to get. buy if you look around you. We’ve rounded up today’s best prices for the original Wind here:
Design
Put the Flow Velociti Wind 2 and Wind side by side, and (other than the new colorway) it would be hard to tell the difference. It’s still a great shoe, but the changes are minimal.
You have the same web style Warp upper with identical laces and padding in the tongue and heel collar. The upper still feels just as good as the first shoe you put on, hugging and wrapping around the top of the foot in all the right places.
There’s the same 8mm heel-to-toe drop with UA’s Flow midsole technology back in place and an outsole that ditches the rubber to keep the shoe’s overall weight down without sacrificing strong traction. UA says it cut off a few grams, but we honestly felt it was so small it wasn’t the kind of difference you could notice on the run.
Under Armor has made some tweaks to the rear of the Wind 2, adding a new Tatami Stitch Heel designed to provide a more consistent lockdown at the heel and make the shoe more attractive for long runs. A molded EVA sockliner has also been added to improve comfort when you hit those double digits.
That Tatami Stitch Heel certainly changes the feel of running in the Wind 2 slightly compared to the Wind, delivering on that promise of a safer feeling, but we’re not sure if it was a change that really needed to be made. applied. That new sockliner is definitely welcome again, can’t say we noticed a huge difference from a comfort standpoint, especially when we tested the Wind 2 on longer runs
Downstairs, you’ve got that low-profile, rubber-free outsole that still feels great and grips well on dry surfaces, even holding up well when we’ve run them through stormy conditions too. We even took them on some light trails and they worked well too, although sticking to roads and pavements is definitely better for the outsole and the kind of durability you can expect from them.
Performance
After putting a lot of time into the original Wind, we’d say the Wind 2 offers much of the same experience and works best for the same types of runs. It still feels like a shoe fit for tempo runs, with the option to pick up the pace, or go longer and a little slower. Overall, it remains an enjoyable shoe that showcases some of the best technology that UA has put into a shoe for a long time.
We did just over 50km on the road and treadmill in the Wind 2, a mix of 5k and 10k tempo runs, recovery runs, track interval sessions and a few longer hours plus training runs to see how well equipped the Wind is used to be. 2 is for longer miles.
That Warp upper, including a soft padded tongue, makes it a really comfortable shoe to run in, and that comfort stays constant throughout the duration of the run. It looks like an upper that can get hot and sticky, but it’s nice and breathable, even in warmer running conditions.
Under Armor descends to the midsole and remains a secret about the material that makes up the Flow cushioning. What we To do Know that it creates a pleasant, responsive ride that doesn’t feel too firm, and along with the one-piece outsole, it offers the kind of grounded feel that reminds us a bit of running in minimal, barefoot shoes. It won’t be a running sensation that everyone will love, but we think it will have more fans than detractors.
It felt good on short and smoother runs, and while we were skeptical about putting it on the long-haul test, it held up well on that front too. That midsole and outsole provide a very consistent and stable ride and won’t feel sloppy if the legs are a little tired.
We’re not convinced that the stitched heel makes a huge difference here, but it does feel like a shoe you can wear for a long time without significant problems. However, if you want something that makes more mistakes in terms of stability, there are better shoes.
Under Armor has once again put its real-time coaching and run-tracking sensor in the midsole, giving you data like distance, splits, cadence and stride length without the need for a phone or running watch. You don’t have to charge it and it lasts longer than the life of the shoe. There are no new gimmicks here, though, and you still need to use UA’s MapMyRun app to view your stats.
UA’s latest technology goes further by offering real-time coaching, based primarily on stride length and cadence, and also provides insight into running form, including post-run. As with the original Wind, we found that the accuracy of core stats, such as distance tracking and pace, held up well compared to a running watch.
The form of coaching is best used on runs where you specifically want to make improvements, not on every run you do. The insights and instructions are well presented during and after the performance and feel good to take on board. It’s nice to have those stats available and a secondary way to log runs if you forgot to charge your watch, but you can also happily ignore them if you prefer.
First reviewed April 2022