After straight killing the Curry 1, Under Armour could have sat back and waited on the Curry 4 to give us more of what we crave. But like all great signature shoes, a low top was needed, and a low is what we got. Can it hold up to the mid? Or is it an unneeded addition to a new line? You know how we do…
First up, I have to give credit, AGAIN, to Under Armour, for having the foresight to sign an athlete of Steph’s character. Coming off ankle injuries and missed games, it was a gamble to go big with him as your headliner, but I would say so far the gamble has paid well. Steph also took a HUGE gamble, going from King Swoosh to UA, but he has known what we at 2018jordans.com have known for a while – Nike makes great performers, but so do other brands. Give them a shot. Anyway, enough wallowing, let’s roll…
MATERIALS – As we saw in MOST of the mid colorways, we get Anafoam in the upper. I won’t get too deep, because the review of the mids covers most of the facts covers most of the facts, but Anafoam is a foam backed mesh that forms to your foot as it gets heated. Not saran wrap, but gets comfy. Charged foam in the midsole for cushioning and some fuse touches around high stress areas. Same as the mids.
FIT – Welcome to our first area of change. But change is good. My only other pair of Curry’s are the Dark Matter version, and while they did fit TTS, I will say there was a little dead space in the forefoot. I had heard the MVP’s had changed the fit and were closer to 1:1 than previous versions, but we all know how that release went down. I could tell, on first lace up, that the Low’s fit snugger in the forefoot and midfoot, and the toe box was shallower, really giving the wearer a secure lockdown. I have read some going half size up – I wouldn’t. Length is perfect, and when I tried on a half up the toe flexed in a weird way, popping as it bent. TTS broke in around an hour after wearing them casually and since then no problems. Midfoot is dead on, with the shank plate providing just enough arch support to let you know it’s there without being painful. Heel fit is a problem for playing if you don’t lace tight, as most low tops are. But just give a little pull and the heel cup locks you in. I still experienced a slight slipping but nothing that made me think I was going to lose a shoe or roll an ankle.
CUSHIONING – The second change in the shoe. You still get Charged Foam, and it is still a little dead feeling compared to Micro G, but instead of the orange Micro G insole, we are given an OrthoLite open-cell insole. On step-in comfort, the Ortho is great, but it will break down quicker than the Micro G. Also, especially in the forefoot, there was a more pronounced bounceback when playing. Whether the formula for the Charged was changed or there was more of it, I don’t know. All I know is, compared to the mids, the lows felt springy and responsive. Heel impact was the same as the mids, with no pain at ALL from off landings or heel slaps.
TRACTION – Same as the mids. And the Clutchfit Drive.
Support/Stability – For a low, VERY stable. The heel cup/counter comes up just high enough to keep you locked in but still allows the range of motion for a low. The cup runs down in to the midfoot tying the support in and taking away any slappy feeling that Under Armour used to be known for in hoops shoes (Black Ice and Bloodline especially). This is the closest to a running shoe UA has put out for basketball, something I love. Also, the wide base in the heel helps keep your ankle upright and the general density of the Charged foam doesn’t compress easily so the threat rolling over is lessened. The forefoot had a large outrigger, but it is set back to under the midfoot up to the pinky toe, not past. Some brands place the outrigger farther forward, making toe-off drag and affecting reaction. By placing it where the Curry does it doesn’t affect the foot flex and really only comes into play when needed. Under the arch, we go back to the large arch support – a TPU bridge that gives the right amount of support without pushing your foot too far up or forward, which lead to foot cramping and fatigue.
OVERALL – A great addition to the young Curry line. If you liked the mids, you will like the lows. If you like the Kobe ad or IX, you will love the Curry. If you like great cushioning, fit, good traction and transition, you will love the Curry Low. It’s really simple – if you like a great performing low top basketball shoe, you will love the Curry Low. They are EXTREMELY hard to get right now, selling out across the companies like some guy from Chicago played in them. Think about that – two years ago, an Under Armour shoe selling out was ridiculous. Now, you can’t find even the worst colorways of the Curry on shelves. We hear you, Basketball Shoes. No more hiding the goods.
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