Under Armour HOVR review: Smarter running shoes, light on gimmicks

Enlarge / Vaguely reminiscent of the brand's infamous Steph Curry design. (credit: Valentina Palladino)

In recent years, I've tracked my running in many ways-wristbands, smartwatches, pant sensors, socks, and the like. But smart running shoes have always promised the most convenient solution for those who want to track running without extra devices. Unless you prefer running barefoot (which some do), everyone needs a pair of shoes before they go running. And why not make those shoes work a little harder?

Under Armour initially embraced this idea with the debut of its Speedform Gemini 2 smart sneakers a couple of years ago. Now, the company has new designs with improved internal tech in the form of the $130-$140 HOVR Phantom and $100-$110 HOVR Sonic connected shoes. The new kicks track every step of your run, capturing enough data to educate both novice and expert runners about their form and progress. And when combined with the improved MapMyRun app, the new HOVR shoes make a good case for ditching that smart wristband and lacing up a pair of these instead.

Out of the two new shoe models Under Armour debuted, I tested the HOVR Phantom. It has an improved design that is made with a wax-based foam for better energy return, softness, and adaptivity. The HOVR name (pronounced "hover") comes from the new foam cushion with a durometer contained by Under Armour's "energy web," which is supposed to be responsive and better at directing energy than other designs.

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