The shoe offers pretty good cushioning, is airy and nice and wide in front.

As a regular runner, there are many things you would look for in a pair of running shoes, like comfort, support, performance and durability. It helps if the shoes look good too, of course, but it’s not really that important.

I’ve gone through close to two dozen running shoes since I started running 12 years ago and in those years, I’ve tried many of the go-to brands for running shoes. I’ve never tried Under Armour shoes before though and so I didn’t have any expectations or preconceptions about what the Under Armour (UA) HOVR Machina 3 would be like.

The latest in UA’s run footwear development, the HOVR Machina 3 is supposed to be a “high-mileage daily training shoe” that offers “the latest in tech and innovation”.

It is the third iteration in the brand’s Machina series.

Having never had shoes with Bluetooth connectivity, this was the first thing about the pair that I was interested in. Via Bluetooth, the shoes are connected to the MapMyRun app.

Aside from just tracking your distance and speed, it tracks your cadence (steps per minute), stride and pace and through this, detects if your form needs improving or if you’re doing alright.

After running a handful of full marathons, a bunch of half marathons and many shorter runs, I discovered that my form wasn’t quite right. Isn’t that just crazy?

The coaching app told me (yes, the voice coach comments on your form as you run) that I was leaning forward too much (I thought my body was upright, to be honest) and that my stride was too wide.

I followed the tips suggested by the app – keeping my hips under my shoulders, taking shorter steps, running as silently as I can, etc – and made adjustments to my cadence, stride and pace and in just three or four runs I found that I was running faster, with better form.

Making adjustments to my form also stopped my knees from hurting and I found that I didn’t need to wear my knee guard for support any more, even on hilly runs.

I was impressed ... and a little shocked that I hadn’t thought of correcting my form before this.

According to the brand, the embedded sensor tracks, analyses and stores detailed running metrics that inform runners of ways to improve performance. In 2020, the MapMyRun app reported that coaching users ran 7% faster and 3% farther.

Connectivity aside, the shoes were also comfortable. It’s a neutral running shoe (usually for runners with normal pronation) and weighs about 263g (for women’s size US7) or 300g (for men’s size US9).

The improved design has certainly added more comfort. Other details about the shoes: The technology provides a “zero gravity feel” that helps eliminate impact; an engineered warp spacer mesh that makes the show lightweight and breathable; a solid rubber outsole that covers high impact zones for greater durability with less weight; as well as carbon rubber pods under the heel that deliver greater traction and durability at high-impact strike zones.

In total, I’ve covered about 100km with the shoes – the longest single distance I did was a 17km run and I found it comfortable throughout.

The pair offers pretty good cushioning, is airy and nice and wide in front. With some shoes my toes tend to feel sore after a longer run but I didn’t face this issue with the Machina 3.

I usually do prefer a little more ankle support, though, but the lack of it in this pair didn’t really pose a problem.

Another point worth mentioning: the laces.

There aren’t any details on the material used for the laces but they are a little foamy and keep in place every time.

I usually have a problem with my laces coming loose during my runs but not with these.

It’s a small detail but an annoyance nonetheless so this was a good thing for me.

According to the press release, the shoe has a new midsole design that is supposed to “enhance smooth landings without losing responsiveness or explosive lift-offs”.

An aerodynamic heel and an engineered spacer mesh upper are also among the modifications made to this pair of shoes from the previous incarnation.

Priced at RM649, the shoe isn’t cheap but very few running shoes are.

Tags / Keywords: running show , review , Under Armour

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