We have done various kinds of reviews on this site in the past. There are book reviews, law review article reviews, and sponsored reviews of various websites. SportsAgentBlog.com has decided to start a new category of reviews that will look at various products in the world of sport. We actually first informally reviewed a product when I highlighted the great TS Lightswitch GIL II ZERO x CUBA shoes that adidas sent my way. But we are kicking out the informalities and creating a new genre of posts that will look to shed light into some of the newest technologies that can benefit athletes, agents, coaches, executives, etc.
This post will focus on Under Armour’s new line of shoes, and in particular, the UA Proto Speed Trainer. While watching the NFL Draft coverage on ESPN, I was blown away by Under Armour’s commercial highlighting its new line of footwear. It should not surprise you that one of their commercials caught my eye; the company is an industry leader when it comes to branding its product through advertisements.
Under Armour unveiled its New Prototype by introducing three distinct types of training shoes. In fact, as of right now, you can only purchase them through pre-orders online. The shoes will be released to the public tomorrow. There is the Power Trainer, which looks like a high-top basketball shoe. It is built to add stability, propulsion, and cushion to your movements. It will definitely give you some hop in your game. Then there is the Evade Trainer. Under Armour claims that it is supposed to be good for side to side agility and enhance your lateral motion for quick cuts on the field. You may want to throw these on next time you decide to give your opponent a juke move in Madden. The type of shoe that I received, is the Speed Trainer. It is for the fastest player in the game. If you need that quick speed boost, this is the shoe for you. However, it is not meant for endurance running. If you plan to run for more than three miles at once, you may want to pick up a different type of footwear.
Remember how I said that Under Armour is great with building its brand? It’s image was only enhanced in my eyes when I opened up the FedEx box. Enclosed was a custom Under Armour box that looks stylish enough to keep even after the shoes are out of the case. Within the box is a manual that describes each type of shoe mentioned above. If you lose the manual, no worries, the box contains a shorter version of the information. But what about the actual shoes? My true test to see how a shoe feels is to slap them on without any socks. You never know, you may forget your socks one day and need to run a sprint. Anyway, they are extremely comfortable and make you feel like you are running on air with additional support under your feet. Many running shoes will give you that floating feeling without the support. These have it all. And they look damn good! I suggest getting them in the color that I received…Under Armour’s brand color: red, black, and silver.
Brian Berger of Sports Business Radio believes Emmett Jones of Sports Business Digest believes that Under Armour’s new line of shoes are an unnecessary product in a slow economy. While they are definitely not necessary, I already have received a ton of instant messages from friends who saw my away message about the Speed Trainer and are going to go out and buy a pair this weekend.
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6 replies on “Product Review: Under Armour Speed Trainer”
Did Under Armour pay you to do this review? Should probably add some sort of disclosure if so.
Not a dime. Just sent me the shoes, which I used yesterday in my first workout back from rehabbing the effects of the concussion. This is a new feature where we will be reviewing products. The disclaimer is that such products are being sent free of charge. I always have the option of giving a product a bad review; however, in this case, I was very happy with what I received.
While the economy and timing could always be better, I think these shoes will be successful. If I had to give them a thumbs down, it would be that their marketing seems a bit too over-the-top. Kind of reminds me when ESPN first released their cell-phone and how they positioned it as the greatest thing in the world…and look how that turned out. But I think regardless of UA’s message, the shoes will sell. If I hadn’t just bought some Jordans I’d pick up a pair of these.
Darren,
You have the wrong link at the end. You’re linking to my site instead of Sports Business Radio. I think it is going to be tough to sell the shoe, especially when Nike’s Sparq shoe has barely registered in the market. But like my article points out, I don’t understand why both companies are throwing so many advertising dollars at a market that is only a fraction of the entire shoe market, especially while the economy is in a recession.
Fixed the error. I believe that they are throwing the money at that part of the shoe market because they think that normal people like you and me are interested in the product even though traditionally, it may not have been created for our use. While performance shoes may have held a small fraction of the shoe market in the past, Nike and Under Armour may feel that people other than athletes will change the statistics.
Darren, although the shoe sounds quite impressive do you think any person should believe that these shoes will make them faster? You will see professionals using them in the future only because under armour will be giving it to them for free. If you can find a shoe that gives you proper support and is the proper size, that is all you need. I have seen marathon runners in $20-$30 dollars shoes and extravagant crossfitters who perform several motions daily with the same footwear. Giving your foot too much comfort and care will cause atrophy of natural stabilizer muscles in your leg. I am sure the shoe fits well and is light. But I do not think any person should be paying more than $50 for a shoe. Ever.