Weight: 262g (women’s), 337g (men’s)
Stack height: 36mm (heel), 28mm (forefoot)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm
Type: Neutral cushioned
Standout cushioning
Even before you put them on, it’s clear from the size of the midsole that these shoes offer plenty of cushioning. The stack height of the heel is 36mm, with an 8mm heel-to-toe drop, meaning you’ve still got 28mm of foam under your forefoot – dimensions that put the shoe into maximal cushioned territory.
Health & Injuries Under Armour says offers superior energy return and a springy-feeling ride. The midsole shape is wider all around the heel to balance the height and improve lateral stability.
Plush, comfortable upper
All that cushioning would be wasted if the upper wasn’t comfortable. The Infinite Elite features IntelliKnit – a knitted upper with different textures of weave depending on the area of the foot it wraps around. It’s perforated above the toe box for breathability, and reinforced at the sides for durability, with ridges linking the midsole to the laces to create a secure, locked-in feel around the midfoot, aided by an elasticated internal sleeve connecting the tongue to the footbed.
The ankle collar and tongue are foam-padded, resulting in a plush step-in feel straight out of the box. Another impressive aspect of the shoe is the grippy laces – I tied them only once on my runs as a test (I generally double-knot to be on the safe side) and they never came loose.
How they feel on the run
The size of the midsole and plushness of the upper mean that this is not a particularly light shoe in terms of its specs – but it feels lighter than the figure might suggest, perhaps due to the spring of the foam and the midsole profile which, with its curved toespring and bevelled heel, encourages a smooth roll-through during footstrike.
Fit and comfort are impressive – there was plenty of room in the front of the shoe for my toes to flex, but my feet felt secure around the arch and heel.
The ride feels smooth, with that big stack absorbing everything the road can throw at it, but the cushioning feels nicely tuned – energy return is good for a non-carbon plate shoe, and it keeps just enough responsiveness to stop it feeling overly mushy. For something with a high heel height, it feels pretty stable when cornering or on uneven ground, thanks to the wider midsole shape, particularly around the heel.
Traction is good – I did some rainy runs in them and they gripped well on puddly pavements, even when sidestepping around pedestrians.
Positive tester feedback
But don’t just take my word for it. To earn a Runner’s World ‘Expert Tested’ seal of approval, shoes need to go through a rigorous process involving a panel of male and female wear testers – regular runners with weekly distances varying from 10 to 50 miles – running in the shoes for hundreds of accumulated miles. After running in them for at least four weeks, testers are asked to give detailed feedback on all aspects of the shoe’s performance, including comfort, support, cushioning and traction. Cushioning and energy return were also independently analysed in a lab – the results of this showed the shoe offers high energy return.
In general, testers loved the bounce from the cushioning of the Infinite Elite, offering an effortless-feeling ride. One female tester said, ‘They’re probably the most cushioned shoes I’ve ever tried, and the energy return is significant.’ Another said, ‘I felt like I was gliding while running.’ Male and female testers alike applauded the amount of forefoot cushioning, in addition to that in the heel.
Almost all testers scored comfort very highly, noting the shoes felt good from the first wear. ‘The mesh gives your toes complete freedom to move, which I always appreciate because of the wide-set shape of my feet and long toes,’ said one female tester, while a male panellist commented, ‘They were extremely comfortable and didn’t aggravate any previous injuries, where I have noticed that other shoes can cause some soreness after wearing for extended periods of time.’
The bottom line
In conclusion, the Under Armour Infinite Elite scores as a highly cushioned, comfortable and plush-feeling shoe, making it a great option as an everyday trainer that’s perfectly suited to making the miles feel effortless on long, easy and recovery runs.
Shop the Under Armour Infinite Elite running shoe: Inside our testing
