“This shoe was developed specifically for runners who won’t stay inside when the weather isn’t typically conducive for running,” said Cori Burns, Under Armour Run Footwear Category Manager. “We took some of the best product technologies that Under Armour has to offer, including innovations that have been tried and true in our cold weather apparel lines, and created footwear that allows runners to perform at their best in any circumstance – in this case, rainy, cold, adverse winter conditions.” And the cherry on top? The footwear is available in a connected version as well. A small chip, embedded into the midsole of the HOVR cushioning, pairs with the MapMyRun app enabling seamless access to an advanced running experience. The shoes are digitally connected so runners can track their distance, cadence, pace, stride length, shoe lifespan and virtual coaching – all while building their running community. UPPER TECHNOLOGY The upper features ColdGear Reactor technology, which works by adapting to a runner’s activity level for the right breathability & warmth depending on the level of exertion. The material, which originated in Under Armour’s apparel line, is made of a fleece that uses soft, brushed “nodes” for the right warmth, while the ColdGear mesh side panels provide strategic ventilation. MIDSOLE TECHNOLOGY Below the insulated upper, the shoe uses UA’s HOVR foam cushioning in the midsole. HOVR is engineered to provide the ideal combination of cushioning and energy return, all without compromise. The cushioning is contained in the UA ‘Energy Web’ – engineered to give runner’s responsiveness and energy return to propel off of the cold winter pavement. OUTSOLE TECHNOLOGY Under Armour partnered with Michelin —the experts on ‘ground contact’ between a moving object and the ground in all its forms on surfaces including tarmac, rock, ice and mud— to create the hallmark feature of the shoe, the outsole. “We pulled together a tight team of our most skilled and knowledgeable product developers to produce the high-performance outsoles that Under Armour envisioned for the HOVR ColdGear Reactor,” said Filippo Sartor, Partnership Development Manager at JVI for Michelin Soles. The outsole features a tread design that draws inspiration from the Michelin Wild Dig’r mountain bike tire, which has a special tread pattern designed for mud with tall, sharp, widely spaced knobs to increase ground contact patch and penetrate deep mud easily. The layout of the insole offers stability and side control, while the tread pattern on the heel facilitates deceleration and braking.