By Brian Metzler

Under Armour has had an up and down history in the running shoe world, but one of the best shoes it has ever made – the Velociti Elite 2 marathon racing shoe – could make a grand splash in the women’s Olympic marathon Sunday (August 11). Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi will be rocking a pair of those revamped carbon-plated kicks for Team Kenya, and she could be a legitimate medal contender.

Under Armour has been making running shoes for nearly 20 years, but the brand still hasn’t made a big breakthrough despite putting enormous resources into the category. While it has produced some good shoes through the years, it has suffered from a lack of continuity and shelf space at specialty running retail stores. It’s certainly not for a lack of having key people in the running division, as UA has recruited dozens of talented and creative shoe designers and brand leaders who previously worked at Nike, Adidas, Brooks, Salomon and The North Face.

Like a lot of brands, Under Armour has put out a lot of very good shoes this year, including the Velociti 4 everyday training shoe and the dramatically overhauled Velociti Elite 2 racing model. The racing shoe only made its way into the Olympics when Lokedi was added to the Kenyan Olympic team in July after former world record holder Brigid Kosgei got injured. Lokedi, 30, was the 2018 NCAA champion at 10,000 meters for the University of Kansas. She is a great replacement choice, given that she won the New York City Marathon in her debut in 2022 and then finished second in the 2024 Boston Marathon less than six months ago. She wore a pair of the original Velociti Elite shoes in New York and then donned a pair of Velociti Elite 2 in the epic battle with Hellen Obiri and Edna Kiplagat in Boston. (Obiri will also be racing in the Olympics for Team Kenya, wearing a pair of unique On Cloudboom Strike LightSpray shoes.) 

Even if Lokedi earns a medal and gets some exposure for the Under Armour shoe, the marathon racing super shoe market will still be dominated by Nike, Adidas and ASICS. But Puma has shown that other brands can still break into the top-tier with smart, effective shoe design and top performances from its sponsored athletes. Puma is one of the fastest rising running shoe brands, in part due to the success of its Deviate Nitro Elite 3 racing shoes this year. (Top Americans Fiona O’Keeffe and Dakotah Lindwurm will be wearing them in Paris after placing first and third, respectively in the U.S. Olympic Trials in early February, as will Canadian Olympic Rory Linkletter. Here’s a rundown of what other top runners will be wearing in the men’s and women’s Olympic marathons.)

What’s New: The original Velociti Elite shoe from 2022 was a fast and springy shoe with a much leaner profile that felt more like an enhanced, highly responsive version of a traditional, low-to-the-ground racing shoe, especially in the forefoot. (It was similar in that way to Hoka’s original Evo Carbon Rocket in 2018.). The updated Velociti model has a pumped-up Pebax-blend Flow midsole that now has maximally cushioned stack heights (39.5mm/37.5mm), a redesigned carbon-fiber plate that has made the second edition slightly stiffer and more propulsive, and an updated engineered mesh upper that offers support flexibility, comfort and breathability. 

Fit/Feel/Ride: The Velociti Elite 2 fits true to size with a medium-volume interior. It has sufficient wiggle room in the toe box, but the narrow heel and new upper create a snug, locked-down sensation for narrow and medium-width feet. The step-in feel is soft, seamless, and sleek, combining just enough creature comfort with the precise design lines of a racing model. The thin, lightly-padded tongue isn’t gusseted but it contributes to the comfortable and secure fit, and it doesn’t wander on long runs or fast-pace tempo runs. While many semi-firm shoes can be unstable, I found the wide forefoot and denser characteristics of the Flow midsole foam served up a secure, unwavering ride (especially in the heel).

The ride of the Velociti Elite 2 feels like an ideal mix of smooth, firm, and propulsive. The increased amount of midsole foam gives it a marginally softer, bouncier sensation, while the updated carbon plate and the slightly rockered geometry gives it a more rigid and propulsive feeling. That combination magically came to life as my foot rolled through the second half of a stride, providing a noticeable springiness just before toe-off. It feels great running at up-tempo speeds to race paces, but it’s one of the few super shoes that actually feels energizing when you’re running at slower to moderate speeds. (It’s not ideal for Zone 1 recovery/jogging paces because it feels too forwardly tippy in the forefoot). 

Why It’s Great: While I enjoyed the first edition of this shoe for what it was – namely a quick, smooth-riding shoe with a snappy, lower-to-the-ground ride – the Velociti Elite 2 is great because it’s something entirely different from the original and more in line with what I would run in on a regular basis. The first edition was a great speed day shoe, but the second version is a strong option for long races, long training runs, tempo runs, and even easy-striding Zone 2 runs. All that said, Under Armour has definitely staked its claim to being a part of the marathon super shoe space, and for all the reasons listed above, this shoe could work for a wide range of runners, from those training for 2:45-3:00 marathons to those running 4:00-4:30 marathons.  

Specs

Weights: 7.1 oz. (women’s 8), 8.2 oz. (men’s 9)

Heel-Toe Offset: 2mm; 39.5mm (heel), 37.5mm (forefoot)

Why You’ll Love It: You’ll love it because it’s a race-worthy shoe that is smooth enough to be a consistent super trainer. I really enjoyed wearing it on long runs from 8 to 15 miles (at a variety of paces), tempo runs and a 4 x 1-mile workout I did (at 6:30 mile pace). On each of those types of runs, I felt like the shoe’s easy-flowing propulsive sensation was doing a lot of the work for me. It always felt smooth, never overly bouncy or sharp like some marathon super shoes.

Pro: The fit of this shoe is amazing. The new upper creates a form-fitting wrap-like fit for a variety of foot shapes that holds form at slower and faster paces with no gapping or bunching.

Con: It’s not as light as many other marathon super shoes, even though it doesn’t feel heavy or bulky. The extra ounce or so is hardly noticeable and it might only be a concern for elite and sub-elite runners. In fact, a 3:30 to 4:30 marathoner might actually benefit from the extra cushioning and stability the shoe provides.