Under Armour has announced a brand new line of running shoes called Flow, derived from being in a ‘flow state’ of wanting to keep going one more mile because you feel so good. UA says, “The feeling of light, effortless speed. The feeling of the wind at your back. Every runner is searching for that flow state.”

The company says UA Flow is a responsive, grippy, and supportive singular-foam compound that eliminates the rubber outsole, enabling Under Armour to create an innovative, high-traction running shoe.

It took three years to develop using 17 rounds of raw material, 9 rounds of biomechanical testing, 15 rounds of shoe testing and over 11 000 miles of wear testing, resulting in the Flow.

I tuned into a livestream event today where UA introduced its first pair in this line, called the Flow Velociti Wind. It is aimed at long distance runners and much like the UA Hovr Machina I have tested with mid-sole plates that is lightweight. UA is continuing its quest to make runners run even faster.

Adrienne Herbert, a wellness coach who introduced the Flow line says this new technology gives the runner a fluid, gliding sensation with enough responsiveness to propel them forward efficiently. “The Flow Velociti Wind has an extremely light, fast snappy feel when running.”

The decision to remove the rubber outsole has a huge impact on the weight of the shoe, says Herbert. “The unique structure that you can see leads to really amazing grip on the road in all running conditions. This unified outsole has incredible durability, meaning that the grip will still be there after many miles of running.”

UA says that the lightweight performance running shoe has been designed for runners who seek a neutral platform with a go-to fast feel. At just 8.5oz (241g – a men’s size 9) or 8.02oz (227g – a women’s size 7) this shoe is a solution for runners looking for speed and support in their tempo workouts, fast-paced long runs, and longer road races.

The UA Flow Velociti Wind will launch in South Africa from 18 March directly on their website and retailers across the country for price of R3499.