LONG-COURSE SPECIALIST
UUNDER ARMOUR BANDIT 3 NDER ARMOUR HASN’T been in the shoe business as long as some of the other major players in the game, but the company’s shoe selection is becoming more and more popular with triathletes. That’s only going to continue with the launch of the new Bandit 3, a complete overhaul of the previous version of the shoe, but retains many of the features that we’ve liked from the brand in the past.
The first of those features is how flexible they tend to be. Under Armour’s initial foray into the shoe world produced shoes that were super-light and extremely flexible. That hasn’t been lost in the Bandit 3, but you’re getting that great feel with a lot more support and cushioning. The average triathlete, typically, doesn’t need a really beefed up shoe. They’re looking for something that’s light but provides enough support and cushioning to get them through their training and also allows them to run fast in a race. While sprint- and standard-distance specialists can get away with a full-fledged racing flat to hammer through a 5 or 10 km effort off the bike in a race, longer-distance competitors need a shoe with a bit more substance to get them through a half- or full marathon on legs that have already been biking for 90 or 180 km. The Bandit 3 is likely to be very popular with that longer-distance crew – you get the best of both worlds – a fast shoe that still offers a decent amount of cushioning and support.
The seamless knitted upper is very comfortable and breathable. Triathletes who love to stand out will like the fact that the Bandit 3 comes with two sets of laces – we went with the bright yellow laces that really catch the eye, but you can also go with the darker set if you like a more toned down look in your shoes.
This neutral shoe offers quite a bit of support (much more than we’ve seen in an Under Armour shoe in the past, making it a great choice for training and longer racing). Weighing in at 250 g, it feels very light. Thanks to the flexible midsole and stack height that goes from 20 mm at the heel to 12 mm at the forefoot, it feels even lighter as you easily roll from heel to toe. There’s enough support in the heel and arch to provide lots of protection for long efforts, but because of that fast feeling, you’ll love this as a long-distance race option, too.—km