A trainer and slide all in one, Under Armour’s latest offering – the UA SlipSpeed™is a versatile trainer that adjusts to wearers’ footwear needs at any time and is packed with some of Under Armour’s biggest innovations to facilitate optimal training.
After noticing that many young athletes unlace and crush the heels of their shoes after their workouts to wear them as slides, Under Armour developed training shoes that can do just that.
Gone are the days of crushed heels and bringing an extra pair of slides to your workouts.
Trainers that double up as slides
Many people, not just athletes, crush the heel of their shoes to put them on with convenience.
‘Mules’, ‘half-slippers’ or ‘backless shoes’ are also trends cut from the same cloth which feature footwear with all the elements of your traditional shoes, just minus the heels.
Whether for fashion or a quick fix, crushing the heels of a sports shoe invariably deteriorates its performance in the long run.
With the UA SlipSpeed™ heel folding technology, athletes can now transition from performance to recovery with quite literally, a simple step. The “crushable” heel design provides the convenience of putting on a pair of slides without compromising the structure and performance of the shoe.
The UA SlipSpeed™ also replaces traditional laces with the BOA® Fit lacing system, where the user tightens or loosens its fit with the turn of a dial.
These new features of the UA SlipSpeed™ deliver greater convenience and comfort for users, but not at the expense of performance.
Developed for Stephen Curry’s signature Curry Flow line, the UA Flow form replaces traditional rubber outsoles with a lightweight foam compound making it lighter whilst still providing the much needed energy return and ground contact cushioning to wearers.
The Iso-Chill pads within the shoe provide heel-to-toe cooling by dispersing the heat trapped to provide greater comfort while moving about.
The BOA® Fit System tightens and loosens the UA SlipSpeed with a twist of a dial. (Photo source: Under Armour)
First impressions of the UA SlipSpeed
Since its soft launch in October 2022, the UA SlipSpeed™ has garnered positive reviews for merging the best of lifestyle and training footwear into one shoe.
However, many have also noted that the fit of the shoe may be an issue especially for those with wider feet. Because the shoe does not have traditional laces, the BOA® Fit system may not tighten according to the structure of your foot, causing it to be tighter nearer the ankle and looser towards the toes. While some have offered solutions such as pulling on the dial before turning it, the only way to know if it fits is to try it yourself.
The UA SlipSpeed™ debuted in the Bugis Junction Brand House exclusively on 29 March and is also available at the Orchard Central Brand House and online.
(About the author: Dixon Chia is a Sports Science & Management final year student at the National Institute of Education – Nanyang Technological University and currently an intern with E3Sports)
RELATED: What really happens when you start stretching your muscles?
Join the conversations on TheHomeGround Asia’s Facebook and Instagram, and get the latest updates via Telegram.
