UA Infinite Elite Performance Review

Under Armour sponsors some of the best runners in the world (like Best Basketball Gifts) despite not releasing near as many running shoes as prior years. But in 2024, Under Armour has jumped back into the high end running market with the UA Infinite Elite.

The UA Infinite Elite’s fat stack of all new cushion, HOVR+, draws the eyes and shows me that Under Armour wants to keep up with modern day cushioning trends. The Intelliknit upper looks comfortable. Under Armour is clearly aiming for a daily trainer with all around comfort as its main goal. But does the UA Infinite Elite achieve what it wants? Let’s find out.

Let’s Get Comfortable

Drew: There’s no official word on exactly what foam base Under Armour is using for HOVR+ but it appears and feels to be an ETPU similar to adidas’ Boost. Underfoot it’s comfortably plush but not too squishy. It’s a great shoe for standing or walking all day. Stable enough to avoid any discomfort but has enough give to blunt impact and protect from hard ground.

While I liked the underfoot feel, the clunky heel presented problems. The plastic guiderails used as stabilizing pieces make the forefoot and heel feel disjointed. Landing forefoot or midfoot felt fine but as my heel hit the ground or if I led with my heel, the way my foot hit the ground was uneven and harsh. Even if it’s not the guiderails, something is going on that makes the UA Infinite Elite’s heel clomp strangely against the ground and prevent a smooth forward rolling motion.

Luckily, the upper is comfortable. The Intelliknit in the front two-thirds of the shoe conforms nicely to the foot and offers solid breathability. It’s the UA Infinite Elite’s best feature.

The outsole, however, is a mixed bag. It’s made with blown rubber so the durability isn’t good. After my first 10 miles, I could already see solid wear. It does grip well though. While the outsole lasts you’ have’ll get a shoe with dependable traction.

Now let’s find out if Annie experienced the same mixed bag of pros and cons.

Annie: Short answer: yep. Long answer…

My first thought when I took the UA Infinite Elite out of the box was, “Yikes, that’s bottom-heavy.” It does feel heavier in hand than on foot. But its heft – or perhaps more accurately, its lack of balance – was noticeable to me compared to other shoes with just as much stack.

As for the ride, I experienced the same disjointedness Drew described, especially early in runs when I was settling into my stride. The plastic guiderails and rear-sculpting of the midsole indeed felt overly structured and a bit clunky. It was as though I had to learn anew how to run in the UA Infinite Elite every time I took it out (I ultimately went with a “just swing it like a pendulum” approach).

In my case, it took around 20-25 miles to get the beaded foam to soften up at all. I have nothing against a break-in period when there’s a lasting payoff (here’s looking at you, Asics Superblast). But unfortunately, the HOVR+ midsole is such that I still had to sort of re-knead it into submission during the first few miles of every run.

This became most evident when I’d be late into longer runs and suddenly realize the foam finally felt like it had a restrained but comfortable give underfoot – still more akin to a nice dampening effect than an overt squish, but it was enjoyable enough and plenty protective. But then, like the Groundhog Day of midsoles, I was back to square one at the beginning of my very next run.

I completely agree with Drew that the dense and resilient feel might be perfectly welcome in more of a standing or walking around scenario (and even more so for folks who often feel foams bottom out on them). And, credit to Under Armour, it certainly seems to indicate midsole longevity. But for me, it wasn’t ideal to feel like I had to pay a 2-3 mile toll every time I set out to enjoy a run in the UA Infinite Elite.

As for the outsole, I escaped any major durability issues and only saw some minor smoothing of the traction pattern around the midfoot (where I typically land and where the rubber is at its thinnest). But grip was reliable in wet and dry road conditions.

I likewise think that the Intellknit upper is the UA Infinite Elite’s greatest strength. It initially seemed imprecise but very quickly adapted and comfortably flexed with the movement of my foot.

Like many knit uppers, though, one downside I experienced was how the Intelliknit soaks up moisture. That wasn’t a problem on milder rainy days. But when temps were around and below freezing, the upper held onto wet snow to the point that even my warmest merino socks lost the ability to insulate.

That’s obviously not an issue if you’re not regularly trudging around in snow. But I’m guessing this would potentially translate to the upper hanging onto sweat in hot, humid, summer months. It’s not a dealbreaker by any means, but just a heads up. I still think the upper is an overall win here.

Pros

• Comfortable Intelliknit upper
• High stack of resilient HOVR+ midsole that can go long
• Outsole traction

Cons

• April 11, 2024
• Outsole durability
• Bottom-heavy

Is the UA Infinite Elite wide foot friendly?

Drew: No. The UA Infinite Elite’s forefoot, especially around the ball of the foot, and the heel are too narrow to be a good option for wide footers. Even though the Intelliknit does adapt to the foot nicely, most wide footers will want to look elsewhere.

Annie: Nope. The UA Infinite Elite offers a bit more wiggle room than the Under Armour Basketball Shoes, for example. But the fit is still too snug for me to recommend it to most wide footers. Even as someone with an only slightly wider forefoot myself, I wanted more room – especially since UA seems to be putting forth the Infinite Elite as a higher-mileage daily trainer.

Is the UA Infinite Elite worth $160?

Drew: The UA Infinite Elite’s $160 price point is in line with other high stack daily running shoe options. The problem is running in the Infinite Elite doesn’t feel near as smooth as with those other shoes so it’s not possible to recommend it above any of its competitors.

Annie: Unfortunately, I’m with Drew on this one. While the UA Infinite Elite aligns with other $160 shoes on paper, it just doesn’t reach the same level of performance in order to recommend it at that price.

UA Infinite Elite Summary

Drew: I love that Under Armour running is back in a big way. The UA Infinite Elite shows that Under Armour is more than capable of making solid running shoes. I hope the UA design team takes reviewer feedback, tweaks some of their geometry, and returns with a shoe that can truly compete with running’s leading companies.

Annie: Best Long Distance Running Shoes (at least) two-decades-old UA ColdGear Mock Neck year after year to hit winter roads, I’m genuinely rooting for Under Armour to advance its success in the running shoe department (though I seriously wish they’d give us a little more forefoot room in the process). And while the UA Infinite Elite doesn’t quite sing, some of its qualities do bode well if, as Drew said, Under Armour is truly receptive to addressing the qualities that don’t. Plus, when companies earnestly push their own innovation (and thereby that of other companies), consumers win.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Annie Keris (age 39, 5’0” 117lbs): Typically follows a “two days on, one day off” running routine. “On” days include daily miles, speed work, and long runs. An “off” day usually involves yoga and mobility/recovery work. Enjoys occasional racing but perhaps enjoys the training process even more. Gravitates most toward the half marathon distance, but ventures into the 10k and 5k as well. The marathon is thus far uncharted territory…

Disclosure

While Under Armour did send a pair of the Infinite Elite to facilitate this review, they had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence it.