Under Armour has introduced the second generation of its HOVR Drive shoe, now called the GTX, with an emphasis on providing golfers with a combination of comfort and better energy return for more power.
Golfers spend more time in their shoes than athletes in any other sport, with 18 holes, warm-ups, and possibly a celebratory drink in the bar afterwards. During that time, they cover thousands of steps on a variety of different terrains, whilst also repeatedly rotating and pressuring the feet.
Therefore Under Armour set out to create a shoe focusing on comfort above all else, without sacrificing the power and performance needed in the swing. The result is the new UA HOVR Drive GTX.
Michael Glancy, Senior Design Manager of Golf Footwear at Under Armour, commented:
We wanted to design a shoe that would exceed every golfer's need. The HOVR Drive GTX does more than check boxes, it offers golfers the power they need to raise their game to the next level, paired with the comfort they want to enjoy the game.
Comfort to keep you going
Under Armour's HOVR cushioning technology provides comfort and support, whilst still retaining the shoe's lightweight properties. As a result, the HOVR Drive GTX allows golfers to play both comfortably and efficiently, which saves energy to be used on generating more power out on the course.
Energy backed power
This HOVR cushioning is also able to provide energy return to the golfer from every movement they make. Golf coaches will tell you that the golf swing is most effective when the golfer works from the ground up to generate power. So the HOVR cushioning captures energy from the rotation of the forefoot, and returns it to the golfer for more efficient usage.
Torque Through Traction
Under Armour says that traction is one of the most important features of an effective shoe, because of the strain that is placed upon the forefoot as it pivots during the swing. The RST 2.0 spikes have been added into the HOVR Drive GTX to help deliver more traction by creating both vertical and horizontal resistance.
This enables golfers to keep their feet planted whilst leveraging the ground for a full rotation of the foot, to power through their swing with maximum control and power.
The UA HOVR Drive GTX Shoes also feature a Clarino microfibre upper and lightweight waterproof membrane to keep you cool and dry in all conditions, whilst compression mesh Energy Web contains and molds the HOVR foam to help deliver the energy return. They are available now at an SRP of £180.