The technology behind athlete’s shoes today has never been more biomechanically specific and complex, with activity-tailored footwear available for nearly every professional sport you can imagine. However, while shoes for athletes have never been better, the level of specificity has left a gap for sporty sneakerheads that want an all-around shoe to wear from the streets to the squat rack and everywhere in between. Enter the Under Armour HOVR Phantom 3.
The aim of the UA HOVR Phantom 3 isn’t to compete on the court with basketball shoes or to try and beat the lightweight efficiency of a marathon-specific runner. Instead, it’s a shoe made for the other moments in an active lifestyle, be it down at your favourite brunch spot for a caffeine pick-me-up and a feed, or in the office when you leave your white sneakers at home.
Essentially, this latest offering from Under Armour goes back to sporting basics, as a shoe designed to support any athletic lifestyle where getting active is a part of your weekly routine. The saying goes that summer bodies are made in winter, but any sporty person worth their salt knows that champions are made when you’re relaxed and comfortable in your daily life, not just on the playing field.
The folks at Under Armour were kind enough to send me a pair of the new UA HOVR Phantom 3’s to find out what they were like for myself, and after a couple of days in them, I got a sense of exactly what they were looking to do with this fresh silhouette. Straight out of the box and they looked a lot more substantial than the Phantom 2’s I’ve worn before, with a pop of fluorescent orange that looks great against the black upper which definitely gives them more of a street-style feel.
As soon as you put them on, you feel just how snugly the knitted upper wraps around your foot, holding it comfortably on top of the bouncy midsole as it wraps around your ankle. No matter if I was walking down the street or taking them for a jog around the park, they felt lightweight and responsive, but most importantly they were supremely comfortable underfoot.
Looking back through the lineage of Under Armour runners, the UA HOVR Phantom 3’s are basically a refined version of the Phantom 2 that was launched in the middle of 2022. Taking the best bits of what made the Phantom 2 so compelling, the Phantom 3 fits more snugly and is more breathable than its predecessor, as well as featuring an improved midsole design that is both comfortable and propulsive.
The technical updates behind these refinements can be found firstly in the textured UA Intelliknit upper, which is incredibly flexible for comfort, as well as being breathable enough to keep your feet cool during a hard workout. Additionally, the HOVR midsole technology found in a section of the Phantom 2 midsole has been extended to now run the entire length of the Phantom 3 midsole, improving the energy efficiency of the shoe, which also features an 8mm offset between the heel and forefoot.
What makes the Phantom 3 such a compelling shoe isn’t just how versatile and comfortable they are, but also the fact that they look pretty damn great. They’re sleeker than the Phantom 2, with a sweeping midsole unit that transitions cleanly into the supportive heel cup, while the chunky rope-like laces work well against the corrugated upper. It’s safe to say you won’t want to change out of them if you’re heading out for a post-workout feed.
All in all, the Under Armour HOVR Phantom 3 is a worthy addition to the brand’s current runner line-up, plugging a crucial gap between your everyday street sneaker and your performance-focused runner. The entire range of colourways is currently available, with an RRP of $220.
All images courtesy of Under Armour and Shoezen One.
This article is sponsored by Under Armour. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.
