Crocs, Birks and Yeezy Slides have one thing in common, they replaced the standard uniform of athletes across the country. There was a time when any gym you walked into you would find kids wearing Nike socks and slides. It was such a common site many coaches began preventing kids from wearing the slides as they didn’t offer any foot recovery benefits and could lead to foot problems. As Nike/Jordan slides and socks declined, kids began to wear Crocs and Birkenstocks. This led to a secondary battle in the sneaker industry, the battle for recovery. Enter companies like OOFOS, and the transition of Birks from college yards, to retail locations as they introduced injection molded sandals as a direct rival to Crocs. All of this has contributed to research and discussions on recovery footwear for athletes. Which is important because at various events I would see athletes actually running in Crocs and Yeezy slides and to me it was reason to worry. I went as far as writing about my middle school daughter’s battle with plantar fasciitis during track season. I went with the Birkenstock Arizona for her and it worked wonders, but had I seen this sneaker from Under Armour, I may have considered buying a pair of the new SlipSpeed from Under Armour.
If anything slows me down from buying the SlipSpeed, it would be the 150-dollar price. Under Armour isn’t wrong for the pricing considering the Arizona from Birkenstock is $140 and the OOFOS OOMg is an average price of 135. Unlike those two models, the SlipSpeed uses its tech to do several things successfully. The SlipSpeed (a dope name that could lend itself to some cross promotion on speed) provides an excellent training option. Take one look at the wide toebox on this shoe and it becomes apparent that plyometrics, jumping drills, leg exercises will be easier because of the room for the toes to splay. Check out the boa lacing system and this removes the problem with shoestrings getting in the way of sprint drills and the foldable heel drop allows the sneaker to be used as a performance mule. The price unfortunately prices a lot of young athletes out of the purchasing window, but where is the line for pricing a premium product with the amount of tech in this sneaker?
Under Armour is definitely in their wheelhouse with the The UA SlipSpeed™ which launches in the US on October 31, 2022, with limited availability on UA.com and through retailer DICK’s Sporting Goods for $150, followed by continued drops with new colorways, and a full global launch in Spring 2023. The only drawback remains the pricing. At 120 a sneaker that can go from gym to loungewear and is machine washable, would be an easy sell. It’s a bit tougher at 150, but if marketed correctly or as a part of team sales, UA has a definite winner on their hands.
KEY FEATURES
GRIP. UA FLOW CUSHIONING.
Unmatched comfort, ground contact, and traction. No squeaks.
FRESH. BREATHABLE UPPER.
Reinforced supportive material with engineered venting.
CLICK. BOA® FIT SYSTEM
A personalized fit, one click at a time, with a 12-point lockdown system.
COOL. UA ISO-CHILL PADDED INTERIOR.
Heel to toe interior foam padding with cool-to-the-touch Iso-Chill technology.
CLEAN. MACHINE WASHABLE.
Exclusive laundry bag makes it easy to keep them fresh and clean.
FLIP. CONVERTIBLE HEEL.
Go from train mode to recover mode.