Under Armour Machina

One subject has dominated running shoe tech talk in 2020: the new supermaterial, carbon. The Machina range has a carbon and thermoplastic plate in the midsole, similar to that of the Nike Zoom Fly, for extra bounce and energy feedback, except this one has a uniquely forked, two-pronged design, which seems to make the shoe feel cushioned under the forefoot yet still provide a responsive, snappy toe-off.

Apart from being a good-looking shoe with a bunch of cool colour options the uppers are both comfortable and strong, creating locked-down, snug support with no blistering or pressure spots, as long as you go up a half size.

While the trail shoes provide a large amount of cushioning to bigger runners and those who prefer not to feel sharper stones, the Vibram outsole with ‘Mega Grip’ lug pattern provides excellent grip and durability on a variety of different trail surfaces, the road shoes similarly feature real rubber contact surface areas and high-abrasion carbon rubber pods under the heel for extra traction and durability, which provide excellent grip on wet and dusty surfaces.

With Under Armour’s Machina range, you get a free built-in foot pod that captures data you would normally rely on your watch and phone for, including cadence, stride length, ground contact time, and (my favourite) foot-strike angle. The sensor connected to my android phone fast, and I was childishly delighted each time my phone showed the correct pair that I happened to be wearing before I even started running.

Just like bicycle tyres, there is an unavoidable trade-off between comfort, weight and durability. Lighter weight inevitably compromises stability and comfort. These comfortable, well-cushioned shoes all weigh over 330 grams. The trail shoes are not for ascending K2, neither are the road shoes gram-saving 5km racing flats, but they are all stable, comfortable, springy and feature all the tech and design you would expect from a quality running shoe. I had expected to have my suspicions – a weird-feeling carbon plate, squishy foam and old-school connectivity – confirmed by all the tech packed into these shoes, but apart from minor issues, these are serious and comfortable running shoes with reliable tech.

-Paul Ingpen