Thursday, April 22, 2010

Under Armour Spectre

Most readers may have the same reaction as I did when I first head of Under Armour. What's that? Running shoes?

As it turned out, my luggage got delayed again last week (the culprit is Chicago O'Hare), and I was desperate to do some running (Sundown is only 6 weeks away). MBH told me about Under Armour that has an outlet store near Fort Myers. Since I was going to the factory outlet with a long shopping list, I might as well get some running gear and shoe.

Didn't know that UA has a very comprehensive range of merchandise - from golf tees to running shoes, compression tights to socks. The friendly assistant gave me a 2 minute introduction of how UA started when some Maryland (?) football players couldn't find suitable gear. My impression is that UA goes for comfort above all else.

So is the UA Spectre (USD44 - a steal!) comfortable? Most definitely. From the moment I put on the shoes, they felt very snug and well cushioned. I was surprised at how light the shoes were (officially 9.8 oz). But how would they perform?

The next day, I took the shoes out for a 10km run. They felt significantly lighter than the Nimbuses and Pro Grid Triumphs I had been using. There was a flopping sound when I landed too heavily on the heels, the result of a hollow under the heel section. But as long as I kept with the mid foot strike, the annoying sound was gone. 

After about 8 km, I could feel my feet complaining a little - they had been too accustomed to heavy cushioning. The good news was that the shoes felt comfortable and lively - thanks to the thin forefoot and foot sleeve technology. 

I would be taking them out for a long run soon, and reserve my verdict until then. For now, they make a good pair of trainers.

Another thing - the outsoles material looked to be durable, unlike that found in ASCIS and Saucony. Hopefully they will last 400km.

And I guess I have the only pair in Singapore.

PS: Took the Spectre out for an 18 k run on April 25. They felt just fine. The shoes also dried up fast after the downpour. Pretty happy so far.

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