The fitness market is still expanding. Crossfit or street workout enthusiasts develop the specific safety, comfort and performance needs that the new Under Armour HOVR Apex tries to meet. I tested it for a little over a month during Crossfit sessions, work out …. And running …
No need to introduce Under Armour. Since its creation in 1996, the Baltimore company has become a major player in sports equipment. Specialized first, in compression and American football, AU has gradually extended its expertise to all sports, including recently a very strong investment in running and obviously training. We already had the opportunity to talk to you in these columns of the range of connected HOVR shoes, launched at the beginning of the year, and quite recently, Rush textiles, with energy return.
The HOVR APEX are the latest training shoes from UA and compete with the Nike Metcon and other Reebok Nano. The objective was to develop the HOVR technology and adapt it to the specificities of training shoes: maintenance and stability.
The Apex is based on the famous HOVR foam, which offers excellent shock absorption and a good return of energy; a compression mesh that retains the foam and improves energy return. The heel of the shoe is composed of a multilayer support system that immobilizes the heel and releases foot movements forward, back and sides. The upper is made of a breathable mesh with 3D prints to protect the foot and improve the resistance of the shoe. The outsole features UA Tribase technology to maximize ground contact in areas where the foot needs it most, allowing for greater upward flexibility to facilitate natural movement and downward traction for grip. ground. The Apex displays a drop in the average of 8 mm, and a weight of 370 grams for a size 42.
The UA HOVR Apex has a visual identity clearly year 90. First on the side of its protruding forms and the big tab that remind us of the flagship models of the golden years of sneakers from Converse, Fila or Reebok. Then at the level of flashy colors, including the gray model, orange, water worms and azure Vanilla Ice would have enjoyed wearing on the beaches of Miami Beach! I had the opportunity to test the other model more sober, black, with a touch of red on the outsole and the window of view on the foam, much less fun.
The HOVR Apex is intended for sports fans, in all their diversity. With the practice of cross-training, the more than 60 million European subscribers to the gym, combine more and more cross-fit, calisthenics, bodybuilding, cardio, or practices related to combat sports. It is not easy to design a shoe that can adapt to all practices, the maintenance and stability of the deadlift, the cushioning and energy return necessary for plyometric exercises … I still have not found the perfect pair to suit all types of practices. I have often been content to change them accordingly to exercise functions or to wear the ones that would be the least annoying to me, like most of you.
I tested the Apex for a little over a month during all my training room (crossfit, bodybuilding, plio, cardio training) and during a stadium training.
The shoe is very comfortable, with excellent support. The big tongue and the different layers of the mesh give it a soft and reassuring side. Its thickness gives it a very vintage look, but also adds weight, penalizing the exercises of rapid mobility of the lower body.
The Apex are perfect for lower body activity activities, which require slower movements, such as deadlift, squats, lunges, … there is excellent support and the stability needed to perform the exercises. all security. Their robustness makes them a shoe that will not be replaced for a while.
To conclude, the Under Armor HOVR Apex will delight indoor sportsmen looking for a great look, robustness, support and comfort.
Their price ? $ 140