UNDER ARMOUR FLOW VELOCITI ELITE

£220 Can these carbon contenders cut it in tri?

After a decade of middling reviews of their shoes throughout the 2010s, we’ve been belatedly bowled over by Under Armour’s Flow Velociti running shoes in the last couple of seasons. What we dismissed as a gym brand had come good in running.

Worn by Sharon Lokedi for her 2022 New York Marathon win, the new unisex Flow Velociti Elite ups the ante (and the price tag) of the £140 Flow Velociti 2s by, you’ve guessed it, inserting a carbon foot plate into the midsole. Unlike the Kiprun KD900X or the Hoka Carbon X, for example, the running feel is more measured and comfortable, and there’s no breaking-in process. A ‘carbon lite’ if you will, which acts as a smoother introduction to the genre but does feel less aggressively fast (UA bill these for marathons – we’d run a half but would admittedly want more support for 42km). That’s not to say the Elite aren’t peppy, and they consistently promoted an up-tempo forefoot running experience that was regularly slightly faster in our timed tests than the non-carbon Velociti 2. They’re nimble on the twists and turns of a multisport run course and they retain the triathlon friendliness of the Velociti 2s with a breathable mesh upper and sockless comfort. They’re also lighter, coming in at 218g (UK7) compared to the Velociti 2’s 236g.

That plate has added over £100, however, which is a big commitment financially. As a mid-pack runner, we’ll be sticking to the Velociti 2, but there’s much to recommend in this lean, lithe and tri-friendly package.

underarmour.co.uk