Under Armour UA Velocity 3 Review: A Daily Trainer That Has Lost Its Edge

Introduction

The Under Armour UA Velocity 3 sits in the uptempo daily trainer category: a shoe you can run in regularly but also use for tempo-style sessions. Priced at £135, it lines up against rivals such as the Hoka Mach 5, the Asics Novablast 4, and the Puma Velocity Nitro 2.

Spec-wise, the 8mm drop carries over, but the weight has crept up over the generations. The most notable change is the new flattened knit upper, replacing the wrap-style upper of the first two shoes, and a softer version of Under Armour’s Flow foam in the midsole. The outsole gains a little more rubber with a slightly tweaked pattern.

On paper that reads like a sensible evolution. In practice, our testing suggests the changes have shifted the shoe’s character more than they have improved it.

Fit and Sizing

Testers ran in their regular running shoe size and found the fit reliable. The knit upper is baggier than the taped uppers of the previous two versions, so there is more toebox wiggle room and a shade more length up front. Heel hold was fine with no slipping, and locking the shoe down across the top of the foot worked well.

The takeaway: go true to size. The bigger story is the change in feel. The Velocity 3 offers noticeably more volume than the first two shoes, which wrapped closely against the foot and arguably made them feel quicker. This version is roomier and more comfort-oriented, with extra padding in the heel and tongue. It changes the wearing experience, though not in a way that caused any fit problems.

Midsole: Softer Flow, Different Character

The midsole still uses Flow foam, but it is a softer version than before, with two additional millimetres in the forefoot and four extra in the heel. The intent is clear: more cushioning, more protection, and more comfort over longer miles.

The problem is that the added volume is not enough to deliver the pronounced benefits of true max-stack shoes. The result, in testing, is a ride that feels somewhat dead: a bit too firm for slow recovery runs, yet heavier and less snappy than before at faster paces. The firmer, lighter, more responsive character of the original Velocity is what made it stand out, and the third version does not fully replace it with a plush alternative either.

Run Test: What Changed Out on the Road

Across around 55km of testing, the overall impression is of a shoe caught between two camps. It is not soft or protective enough to satisfy runners looking for a plush cushioned daily trainer, and it is no longer fast and precise enough to be the first choice for uptempo sessions. It also lacks the versatility of competitors in the space such as the Saucony Kinvara (Speed 3 era alternatives), the On Cloudsurfer 7, the New Balance 1080, and the Saucony Triumph 21.

The upper changes compound this. The old taped system felt more secure; the new knit has more flex but feels less structured, runs warm, and the more heavily padded heel collar is fussier than before, with openings that let things slip down the sides.

It is not all negative. The shoe can still be run uptempo, and slow runs are better served here than in the first two versions. You can feel the essence of what made the original good, but the balance has shifted and the ride no longer does either job convincingly.

Outsole and Durability

The outsole has been fine throughout testing, with no grip issues even in wet conditions, and it performs in line with the first two shoes. There is noticeably more rubber than before, and the pattern has been slightly tweaked.

That suggests the Velocity 3 should hold up better over longer distances than its predecessors. It is the one area where the updates feel like a clear, uncontroversial improvement.

Should You Buy the UA Velocity 3?

This is a shoe with something of an identity crisis. Under Armour has tried to keep the quick, versatile feel of the first two shoes while making the third version better suited to longer, more cushioned running. The result falls between those goals: not standout at uptempo paces, and not memorable enough as a longer-mileage trainer, with the added weight working against both aims.

If your runs are mostly short, up to around 10km or an hour on your feet, the Velocity 3 can work, though there are stronger options for that niche. At this price point, the Hoka Mach 5 is the obvious alternative: softer underfoot but better able to run quickly and ease off comfortably. The Puma Velocity Nitro 2 costs less and delivers similar versatility, and the Asics Novablast 4 handles both uptempo runs and high mileage well. If you are willing to spend more, the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3 is a standout in this category.

The verdict: the Velocity 3 is fine, but the changes have made it a different shoe rather than a better one. Fans of the firmer, more responsive earlier versions may prefer to look elsewhere, and runners wanting a plush daily trainer have better-matched options too.

Conclusion

The Under Armour UA Velocity 3 keeps the core of what made the line interesting, but a softer midsole, a roomier knit upper, and creeping weight have blunted its edge. It is a jack of two trades and master of neither. Under Armour has room here for a genuinely good daily trainer, and a return closer to the character of the first shoe would be a welcome next step. For now, most runners in this category will find better value or better performance elsewhere.