Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 Review
By Matthew Klein
Under Armour Velociti Elite 3Price: $250 at Under Armour
Weight: 7.8 oz, 221 g (Unisex men's size 9 / women's size 10.5)
Stack Height: 37.5 mm heel / 35.5 mm forefoot
Drop: 2 mm
Shoe Purpose: Super Racing Shoe
Pros: Highly rockered ride, improved foam, comfortable "just right" upper
Cons: Extremely low drop for a distance racer (might be a pro for some people), heavier than all the competition, midsole foam not quite at top levels, folding tongue
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 is a super distance racing shoe for those who want a rockered, low heel drop for longer races. A Leno Weave upper provides a low volume and secure fit for those with normal to narrow feet. A full-length HOVR+ midsole provides an initially firm but responsive ride that softens with time to function best over half to full marathon-type efforts. A highly rockered midsole is paired with a low drop, providing a rare low-drop super racer. A unique ride for those looking for it, the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 finally checks all the boxes for being a true super shoe and continues to move up.
SIMILAR SHOES: Saucony Endorphin Pro 5
PAST MODEL: Under Armour Velociti Elite 2
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 fits me true to size in my normal men's US size 10. The Leno Weave upper is thinner but tough and secure, providing a lower volume fit that sits close to the foot. The fit is mostly normal in width although I have surprisingly good alignment for my toes. The toe box inside wide but is snug but anatomic, allowing my big toe to still sit straight. The forefoot fits normal in width but the lower volume makes it feel more snug. There is a tiny bit of stretch to the upper that occurs more with time as it breaks in and adapts to the feet. The midfoot fits slightly snug with a lower instep and has a non-gusseted tongue.
While getting the shoe on is easy, getting the tongue to sit flat is a pain. The edges at the far end would always curl and I had to spend a few extra moments making sure they laid flat on the top of my feet. Once set, it was fine and I did not have to tie the laces that tight to get a secure fit. The heel is snug with mild heel collar padding and a flexible heel counter. The counter is padded but is flexible enough that it did not bother me, and most people with heel sensitivities should be fine.
Thanks to the close fit, the security is quite good. The weave is surprisingly structured and holds the foot down well. The weave is also the same reason that this shoe should not be worn sockless, as it is quite rough against skin. As long as you have socks, it is a solid upper.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: On Cloudboom Strike, Hoka Gaviota 6, Xero HFS, Topo Cyclone 3, Saucony Azura, Salomon Aero Glide 3
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Brooks Launch 11, Diadora Mythos Vigore 3
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Adidas Agravic Speed Ultra
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: No
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: No
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Not Flexible
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Yes
Recommended for Haglunds: Yes
Is This Shoe Orthotic Friendly: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Moderate to High
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 is a distance super racing shoe. The midsole is full-length HOVR+, which initially felt responsive but firm by today's standards of foams. It is a beaded foam that feels familiar to many others in the last few year. The midsole does break in and becomes more responsive with time, although the heel compresses and bounces quite a bit more than the highly rockered and stiffer forefoot. The weight is comfortable but more consistent with a distance racer or even workout shoe than many of the super shoes of today's era. My men's size 10 is a little over 8 oz which is horrible but isn't great either.
The heel drop is one of the most unique things about the shoe. Similar to the prior version, the heel drop is 2mm with a 37.5 mm heel and a 35.5 forefoot. This is noticeable, though slightly offset by the large rockered sole. This gets a bit more extreme given that the heel cushioning does break in with time and becomes softer. Fortunately, the heel features a large rocker that easily rolls forward. The midfoot continues the rockered feeling into the forefoot. The forefoot is slightly firmer than the heel and feels stiffer due to the large rocker and large upward curve from both the sole and plate. Initially, the forefoot felt extremely stiff but has started to smooth out with the foam breaking in. There is no flexibility to the forefoot (or any part of the shoe), so those wanting a stiff shoe will certainly find it here. The large curve of the plate and the lower drop makes the forefoot feel large and bulbous. While difficult to get over initially, as the midsole has broken in, it feels like this shoe may work better for those who land farther forward as the forefoot responds a little faster. The softer heel responds better at more moderate efforts, so depending on where you land may change your experience.
With the softer heel and more rockered forefoot, the Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 feels better at longer efforts than all out ones. I have used this shoe on easy runs, where it transitioned better than I expected, uptempo efforts, tempo runs and faster intervals. It struggled for me at 5k efforts and below, doing far better at efforts closer to half marathon to marathon and uptempo efforts. Pure forefoot strikers may have a different experience than me, but as a heel striker, the heel transition and overall roll of the shoe worked better at consistent tempo type efforts. The Velociti Elite 3 felt just a bit heavy for sprinting and faster turnover, while keeping a longer pace felt better. This makes sense given this shoe having input from a multiple-time marathon champion. The only challenge with this longer distance focus is that you must have the calf flexibility and Achilles tendon tolerance to being stretched so much with the low drop and softer heel. While I was able to tolerate this during runs, I had greatly increased Achilles soreness later after using this shoe. So those that want a really low drop distance racer may enjoy this while others may not find enough offset.
Durability-wise, the outsole has been doing fantastic despite being split. I have 50 miles on my pair and only have a tiny bit of abrasion on the posterior lateral heel. The midsole is continuing to soften and improve, whereas the initial miles left me quite disappointed. Those wanting to use this shoe need to know that it takes 20-30 miles to break in but will get more responsive. The traction is fine for road and track but not a good choice for anything softer. I have run over gravel in this shoe and it is mostly fine but may chew up the exposed outsole. For that reason, I would keep this on man-made surfaces.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 is a neutral shoe. There are no traditional stability elements, although there are some mild guidance methods. There is a decent amount of sole flare in the heel and midfoot, with more medial flare than lateral flare at both places. There are also large sidewalls (these are actually called trimlines in prosthetics/orthotics so I admit I have been mislabeling these) in the heel midfoot with the medial side slightly larger than the lateral. However, this sidewall is offset by the narrowed midfoot. The central groove also provides some slight centeredness, although this is quite mild. This overall provides extremely mild guidance at the heel and forefoot, with a more neutral midfoot.
Thoughts as a DPT: Heel Drop vs Rockered Soles
By Matthew Klein
The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 sits alongside the Altra Vanish Carbon 2 with an incredibly low heel drop. Heel drop refers to the difference in height between the heel and forefoot. Most shoes have a drop between 4-10mm, although there are plenty of training shoes that sit lower. In a distance racing shoe, this is more rare as it increases the workload and stress through the calf muscle complex and Achilles tendon. Those with adequate calf range of motion and strength may be fine here, while others may elect to have a higher relative drop that offloads this muscle group over longer distances. However, heel drop is not the only factor that may influence calf workload.
Rockered midsoles, featured prominently in all super racing shoes to improve efficiency, can reduce load into the Achilles tendon/ankle and move it up higher to the high and knee (Sobhani et al., 2017). This is a common design feature of super shoes meant to reduce calf strain for efficiency (given the calf muscles are the primary propulsive muscles in running) and to improve the transition of an incredibly stiff/plated shoe. The rockers are further impacted by the stiffness of the shoe and where that stiffness is. A stiff forefoot can work against a rocker, requiring the calf muscles to work harder to get the body over the front of the foot. All these factors come together in a way that may be experienced slightly differently for each runner and even across a shoe's life.
The highly rockered midsole of the Velociti Elite 3 does offset the lower drop slightly. Early on when the shoe is stiff, the drop feels more noticeable. As the forefoot begins to break in, the drop is slightly less noticeable. Then, as the heel breaks in and softens, the dynamically lower drop (for heel strikers like myself), again becomes noticeable. For me, while the Velociti Elite 3 is low drop and certainly requires adequate calf/ankle strength and range of motion to operate, the rockers do slightly temper this. Regardless, those choosing to use lower drop shoes have appropriate strength and range of motion to use them so they are not exceeding their body's tolerance and capacity when being used for maximal efforts.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: The Velociti Elite 3 is a continued move in the right direction. Despite the odd lower drop, the geometry and midsole is moving forward from prior versions. My major suggestions are to gusset the tongue, slightly increase the drop and continue to refine the midsole material. The tongue curling could be easily fixed by some mild gusseting and I know a company that does such great work on apparel could easily integrate that. I think increasing the heel drop slightly to 4-5mm may make this shoe a bit more accessible for more of the population without completely changing it. Finally, the midsole material still needs to take some leaps forward. While it is good, it is not nearly as responsive or light as other competitors on the market. It is actually one of the heaviest super racers right now. It does not have great versatility into really fast paces, although it is designed as a marathon shoe. Therefore, for both a massive weight drop and performance improvement, I would highly suggest continuing to experiment with newer foams.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 is a super distance racer for those who want a low volume fit, low heel drop and rockered ride for half to full marathon distances. The fit will work for those with normal width to narrow feet wanting a close fit and a flexible heel counter. The ride will work best for those who want a rolling, responsive ride for longer efforts with a lower drop and stiffer forefoot. The extremely mild guidance may help those with slight medial needs in the heel and forefoot but it will work best for those with neutral mechanics. Those with wide feet, limited ankle mobility or calf function or midfoot stability needs will not do well in this shoe. The price is pretty high for this shoe, although the excellent durability will somewhat justify this. The higher weight and not most up-to-date midsole material makes this shoe feel like $200-225 may be a bit more appropriate (given the now more super trainer leaning), but at least it is now a true super racing shoe compared to prior versions.
Under Armour is at least in the chase and while they still have a little catching up to do, I have faith that they are picking up the pace. This only makes me more excited to see what comes next. In the meantime, this shoe will stay in my rotation as a workout shoe as I continue to carefully challenge my calf and Achilles tendon.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: A- (Racing fit that fits lower volume and slightly snug without cramping toes. Flexible counter is great but folding tongue needs adjusting before runs)
Performance: B+ (HOVR+ bead foam feels slightly behind but aggressive geometry still keeps this shoe moving over longer distance efforts)
Stability: B [Neutral] (Slightly stable heel/forefoot offset by narrowed midfoot. Sidewalls present but not enough to fully stabilize, so better for neutral mechanics)
Value: B- (Expensive for the heaviest super racer with what feels like a slightly dated foam but those whose mechanics match this shoe, ie those wanting a low heel drop rockered shoe, will find value thanks to the durability)
Personal: B (Despite being slightly too low drop for me, I really appreciate this shoe as a workout workhorse shoe. Not in the top ranks of super shoes but US is starting to work there way up.)
Overall Design: B
SHOP | SUPPORT DORUnder Armour Velociti Elite 3Price: $250 at Under Armour
Shop Men | Shop Women
*Using the link to purchase helps support Doctors of Running. Thanks so much!
Check out Gear We Love
Naked Belt The best way to carry your phone and goods on the run. No bounce and various sizes for waist.
Saysky Running Gear: We were really taken aback by this Scandinavian company's ultra-thin, durable performance clothing
Skratch Recovery, Coffee Flavor: Mental and physical boost post run. Coffee flavor is excellent and goes great straight into a fresh brewed cup
goodr Sunglases: Run in style with goodr's super fun sunglasses.
Feetures Socks: Massively grippy socks that will make you feel more one with the shoe
Amphipod Hydraform Handheld Water Bottle: Perfect for long runs when you need hydration in the summer
Trigger Point Foam Roller: Help get those knots out post-run and feel better for tomorrow
Ciele Hat: Our team's favorite running hat of choice!
Fractel Hats: Our team's wider fitting running hat of choice!
FURTHER READING
Saucony's premium high stability shoe.
Max cushion long distance trainer.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
Thanks for reading!
FOLLOW DOCTORS OF RUNNING ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Facebook: Doctors of Running
Youtube Channel: Doctors of Running
Instagram: @doctorsofrunning
LinkedIn: Doctors of Running
Strava: Doctors of Running
Podcast: Virtual Roundtable
PODCAST
Check out the Doctors of Running Podcast to find more reviews, interviews, and running features from the team.
Visit our Podcast Page
Find us on Apple
Find us on Spotify
Contact us at doctorsofrunning@gmail.com
NEXT: Mount to Coast C1
