Under Armour Men's 3023017-004 Trainers

Product Information

The Under Armour HOVR Phantom 2 is a good running shoe option for casual runners who are running under 6 miles. Who should NOT buy it The weight of the HOVR Phantom 2 is one of the things that also cause the shoe to be very underwhelming. It weighs 11.5oz/327g., which is very heavy for a running shoe (average weight for road running shoes is 9.7oz/274g. It definitely just feels heavy and dead underfoot, so this is not a very responsive or fast shoe. Just fine durability

In terms of durability, it's hard for me to take an adequate guess. Just for the fact that the outsole has a lot of coverage and it seems like the rubber material would actually have a lot of durabilities, but I just have little experience with Under Armor's HOVR midsole and I'm not sure how long it would last. That being said, to just play it safe I would put the shoe in about the 300-mile range which is pretty standard across the board for shoes. Smooth Ride: The shoes feel nice to run in. Responsive, a little bit soft without being too mushy, fast and comfortable. The underside of the Flow layer has an undulating pattern of grooves that reliably grip the road. And, in standard Under Armour fashion, it’s durable enough to withstand repeated impacts, so the shoe won’t wear down after a few miles, unlike most shoes with exposed midsoles. That means there’s no need for a separate, heavy outsole, which shaves off considerable weight. The breathability of the shoe was pretty good. The knit material provides good breathability and lets airflow through the shoe at a pretty standard rate. At the end of the day, the Hovr Sonic 6 is a well-rounded shoe for everyday training, especially if you prefer a leaner shoe without a ton of plush cushioning.

In This Section

Footbed: There is no removable footbed/insert. There is simply a very soft inbuilt bed to rest your feet on. It’s nice. This section is going to be a heartbreaker for some, but the ride was just not good. There are a lot of moments while running where I truly wanted to stop and just switch shoes but for testing purposes, I didn't. In terms of the midsole, I actually found it uncomfortable once my run started getting over 5 miles.

Derived from olefin wax, Hovr creates a firm feeling at toe-off, which helps you push hard and maintain fast paces. Under Armour uses Hovr in its training shoes, giving models like the Infinite 5 and Machina Clone 3 a firm, but smooth feel underfoot. The HOVR foam is incredibly soft. It is probably the softness foam on the market. However, it is enclosed in a cage (wall of harder EVA foam) so a lot of the softness gets lost. A unique midsole has a harder EVA cage surrounding a soft HOVR midsole foam that feels like a cushion. In English: The HOVR midsole is a new proprietary foam compound, made in partnership with Dow Chemical. HOVR is infused with Olefin, a wax-like synthetic material, which is incredibly strong and resilient. It is soft and feels like a pillow. The soft HOVR midsole has a cage around it made of soft EVA foam, the cage brings some structure and support to the shoe, and in some ways acts like a spring.The Hovr Phantom used to be Under Armour’s max-cushion shoe, but the Mega 3 has eclipsed it. This plush trainer features even more midsole foam than the Phantom, along with a new Clone upper. If you want all the padding, the Mega 3 Clone has it. The Clone upper stretches and contracts to match the shape of your feet, even as they swell up over the course of your run, so you get a snug fit that won’t feel constricting on longer efforts. The upper also features a rigid external heel counter that supports your heel and ankle, so the shoe won’t feel wobbly when cornering or running across uneven ground. On the bottom, the segmented rubber outsole keeps the shoe flexible—no clunky strides here—and carbon rubber placements under the heel add durability. Compared to the rest of the UA lineup, the Mega 3 dials up the cushioning, and it’ll treat your feet to a plush ride on your next training run. The HOVR Phantom 2 is an awesome running shoe. Looks great, very responsive and fast, yet durable. If you don’t mind a few extra grams, then go for it.