Under Armour released the HOVR Machina at ISPO Munich, the world’s largest sport industry fair, claiming loud and clear, it is the perfect balance between cushioning, lightness and dynamism.
Until now, runners were forced to choose between a high cushioned running shoe for long distance running, or a lightweight running shoe for faster running. Under Armour came up with a solution named, HOVR Machina, combining the speed of a running shoe with the comfort of long distance training.
The two-part carbon-filled Pebax plate should help runners to run on the forefoot to keep the rear-front transition of the foot very fast. Cushioning is known to improve running energy, a factor that can make a difference of several minutes when it comes to marathons. This is why the UA HOVR Machina has a new UA HOVR midsole – all the benefits of soft HOVR cushioning without additional weight. UA has developed precise geometry that does not require as many cages around the UA HOVR midsole. The cage supports UA HOVR under the midsole, while the sides are more freed, which reduces weight while providing responsive cushioning. With the same durability and fit as the UA HOVR Infinite and about 20% more UA HOVR cushioning, the new UA HOVR Machina offers more energy return to help make the last kilometer faster.
Like all shoes in the Under Armor 2020 collection, the Machina shoes are connected, allowing runners not only to follow and analyze their races, but also to have an unprecedented insight into their shape. Since February 1, 2020, UA Pass has introduced real-time coaching. This personalized feature helps each runner to keep pace with their race by providing personalized advice in real time, helping runners to better manage their risk of injury and improve their performance. Runners can also measure the angle of their foot and the time in contact with the ground, offered in a post-race analysis, to give them more in-depth information on their shape, particularly useful on longer runs where the form may tend to drop due to fatigue. All of these features are available with an easy-to-use connection to MapMyRun, which is part of the world’s largest digital health and fitness community of 270 million users.
The HOVR Machina is full of promise. We will be back soon with the results of the full-scale test of the new nuggets of Under Armour.