The Under Armour Curry 4 feels like the true successor to the Curry 2.
Traction – Herringbone is missing from the Curry line for the very first time, and while we love our herringbone, it wasn’t actually missed. The spiral pattern put in place offers multi-directional coverage for any move performed at any time. Linear coverage is fantastic and lateral coverage is handled very well too.
When dust is present the tackiness of the rubber compound used (on translucent outsole options) attracts dust like a magnet. Wiping will be very necessary if you happen to play on a poorly maintained court, but when you’re not wiping things are still able to stick until you have the time to clear things out. One of the courts I play on feels slick even after its been cleaned — it likely needs to be refinished — and the Curry 4 was still able to hold its own.
With the translucent playing so well on some terrible courts it makes me wonder how much more awesome solid rubber versions of the outsole will perform. If you aren’t using herringbone, use this. This was awesome.
Cushion – Tech specs for the Curry 4 were released after I had recorded the video performance review. However, we still didn’t learn much about the cushion. All that we have been told is that UA is incorporating a proprietary foam compound for responsiveness underfoot. Whether or not this foam is Charged, a new form of Micro G, or something else entirely is still up in the air.
However, I do know how the cushion felt underfoot and the best word I can use to describe it is minimal. Not quite Kyrie minimal, but minimal enough to allow for court feel and some minor impact protection. You can always swap out the insole for some additional coverage (I was fine with the stock insole) but this isn’t the shoe for people looking for cushioning. Much like the Curry models of the past, these are all about control, court feel, and stability. If these are attributes you require out of your shoes then you’re going to love how these play. Again, if you’re looking for something with a ton of cushion then these simply weren’t meant for you.
What I like most about the Curry 4’s midsole tooling is that it offers a minimal setup and the shoe owns it. The Curry 3 was super firm and thick for no reason. You rode high off the floor without the benefit of having a well-cushioned ride. That wound up making the 3 feel heavy and clunky underfoot. It was stable, but you can achieve greater stability by bringing yourself down to the floor — that will make you feel lighter on your feet and quicker.
This was not the case with the Curry 4 because what you see is what you get. I feel the perfect setup for these would have been this exact midsole setup with the addition of a Micro G insole; luckily, I still have a few of those stashed away from older UA models. That combination gives you a little more feedback from the foam insole while retaining all of the attributes the Curry 4 offers.
Materials – Threadborne looks to have been a one and done type of material from the Curry line because we now have a modern knit along the upper. Sitting atop the knit is a synthetic leather overlay that adds a little bit of reinforcement to the minimally structured shoe.
So far, this setup has proven to be effective on-court while remaining durable. The synthetic breaks in very nicely and mimics leather in a way that I hadn’t expected. Once the knitted upper breaks in and conforms to your foot you end up with a shoe that feels like it was molded around your foot shape — not just some generic last.
Fit – Going true to size is crucial because the upper is very minimalistic. The entire shoe feels like its suffocating your feet when you first put them on but the break-in process does wonders for the fit.
Side note: I keep reading on other forums that players wear a shoe one time and decide that the shoe is not for them, noting complaints about material stiffness. Shoes often require break-in time. I’m not sure why consumers nowadays are unwilling to break in shoes. The shoes were not built around their foot shape so why would they feel like they were after a single wear for two hours? Leather shoes never felt perfect straight out of the box. Fuse-based shoes required tons of breaking in before feeling nice.
Many consumers have become lazy and impatient. Hopefully, things change for the better, where consumers are well versed on what products offer and why those offerings may or may not work for them rather than just going for something and being pissed that it wasn’t perfect from the start. End rant.
Now, if you choose to go up half size on the Curry 4 because you have wide feet and wish to not break-in your shoe then you will compromise the fit and overall support. If you do this you may injure yourself because you’ve made it so the shoe’s design no longer works as intended. Not every shoe was made for every person. Find a shoe that was made for you, or break in one, and you’ll be surprised at how awesome it is.
Lockdown on the Curry 4 was excellent. The entire shoe is a sock, a very tight sock. You ride inside portions of the footbed (midsole) and once you lace up you’re locked in. Being low to the ground also helps with the minimal upper — everything here feels like it had a lot of thought put into it and if it’s here, there’s for a reason. Having this upper on the Curry 3s tooling would have been disastrous because your foot would sit on top of that midsole rather than in it, and I don’t think this upper wouldn’t have been able to handle all types of lateral movements on its own.
To sum things up: go true to size. Break in the shoe if it’s a little snug at first and you’ll thank yourself later.
Support – Despite being a minimal shoe, the support is solid. The overall support doesn’t rely on the upper, other than the fit, but more so on the way everything works together. The way your foot rests inside the shoe, the way the midsole is sculpted in the rear and lateral forefoot — all of it works very well together. Everything feels very anatomical and I like it a lot.
If I were to enhance anything it would have been the internal heel counter. I would have liked it a little bigger and covering more area. The way it’s implemented currently wasn’t a deal breaker because I love playing in the shoe, but it’s the one thing I feel could have been improved upon. Otherwise, the way the outsole sits on the floor, moves with the upper, and moves with the wearer’s foot feels effortless.
Overall – The Curry 4 feels like it should have come after the Curry 2. It provides a better fit, greater stability, and more control. These are all things the Curry 2 had going for it and it feels like these attributes roll over into the Curry 4 a bit more seamlessly than it had in the 3.
If Under Armour can continue its basketball line with this type of performance then it will have hit a nice stride moving forward. Not only do I love the Curry 4, but now I’m really excited for the Curry 5.
Do the flex grooves at the bottom actually help? Looks like they only run halfway across the shoe. It would be cool if y’all took this into account and bent the shoes during reviews. I think it’s incredibly important to have that forefoot flexibility while the midfoot stays rigid. Too often I’ve had to return shoes because they don’t flex like my feet actually do.
Yes, nothing is on the shoe just to be on the shoe.
I have semi weak ankles, do you feel that the limited internal heel counter could potentially be an issue?
The ligaments in my right ankle are very… sensitive. Anything touches or tweaks my foot/ankle then the issues flare up. These were okay for me without a brace, but it’s all up to you and how your ankle(s) feel. You may want to wear a compression based brace — I think they’re labeled as level 1 protection — for some added security, or you can go all out like Curry and wear an actual brace.
Thanks!
Is there a little space in the toe box if I go true to size? Would you say these fit like Foamposites? That shoe takes a lot of time to break in. I’m trying to avoid unnecessary foot pain. Excellent review.
Foams take so much time to break in because they’re double lasted, have a giant CF plate, and the upper is made completely out of PU foam. The Curry has none of those things. Break-in time is minimal as stated in the review. There is just enough toe space in the forefoot going TTS. If these don’t fit you like a glove then you won’t receive the support you need out of them.
Does it required half size/ one size up when wearing it with the Curry’s ankle braces? Thx a lot!
I’ve been told Curry is wearing his true size with the brace.
now this is what I’m talking about. as far as traction goes, the shoe should be able to hold it’s own no matter what the court condition is. this is why I was disappointed with the 32s, it was really good on good clean courts but was unpredictable of poorly maintained floors.
My low 32s were solid. The red pair — on the same courts — had some slipping. It’d catch itself, but it wasn’t as good as the lows. Slightly below IMO. These were good no matter what. Something one can definitely appreciate.
Decisions Decisions.. lol I’m def looking at these now. Stuck between these & dunk ‘17 Delle Donne PE. Don’t think I can go wrong with either pair. Traction, Stability, courtfeel & responsiveness is all I need.
Are the Curry 4’s going to be available for adult sizes when they come out in stores on the 27th?
You’ll have to call your retailer and see what they plan on having available.
Hi Nightwing2303! Just wondering, what kind of socks do you wear when you play in a performance sneakers? Is it thick or thin type? I think the type of socks affects the fit. Correct me if I’m wrong. Thanks.
I wear both thick and normal thickness socks — just depends on what is clean. Never alters the fit for me. Material thickness is only about a millimeter or two so theres no way it alters the fit significantly enough to fill an entire half size.
Would you say the cushioning is more forgiving than react foam?
Yes, React is awful.
Thanks! I got the hd flyknits as a game shoe where I value traction and responsiveness the most in those situations, but I do notice my legs aching more than usual after games. Need a more forgiving pair for just casual pick ups
I wonder why Under Armour don’t have a big man shoe in their line with abundant cushion and massive support. This whole brand basically offers nothing to me. 🙁
-pac
I liked the Curry 2, 3 and now 4 but just can’t deal with stiffer cushions…oh well this will be a pass for me just like the new hyperdunks despite the fact that I like everything else about the shoes
Would the curry 4 fit while wearing the zamst a2-dx? i know curry does it but he might have a special pair. It doesnt look like there is not a lot of space in the collar area.
I’ve been told Curry is wearing his true size with the brace.
Is the cushion more plush than that of the Curry 2’s ? I’m guard so these types of responsive cushion really do it for me. Just wondering how these fare with the 2 in terms of impact protection and overall comfort.
Comparable to the 2 but sits lower.
you draw comparisons with the curry 3s but not the 3zeros that you liked more, would you prefer this over the 3zeros? if so why? Thanks!
I like them both. The 4 is much lighter and I prefer the fit compared to the 3Zer0. However, the 3Zer0 has more cushion. It would just depend on how I’m feeling as far as picking one over the other, but I’d play in either pair.
I am size 11 and I put gel inserts in for my flat feet.Do you think I should break in the shoe with a brace I wear braces on both ankles.Thanks.
Do custom orthotic insoles ruin the fit of the shoe because you’ll sit higher in your shoe and the heel counter will be even lower?
Will the outsole hold up outdoors if it was a solid rubber judging by the grooves?
Very unusual that they have what seems to be a new cushioning tech for what is clearly their flagship model and yet they are mum about what it is or even what it’s called. I saw the tech specs on the championship pack and the first colorway as “proprietary foam” and figured they would update but so far they have not. Micro G was damn near perfect, the combo Charged/Micro G setups were sometimes excellent. Are they going to become like Adidas was for a while just hopping from tech to tech aimlessly, even when they knock it out of the box? Odd. I am disappointed to hear about the minimal cushioning. I thought some of the charged models (e.g. CFD Highlight 2) felt great once they were broken in and I never wore a Micro G model I didn’t like from a tooling standpoint. Now they come with a mysterious new foam and it’s not particularly soft, responsive or protective? That sucks. I will cross these off my list, just picked up the LeBron XV and KT3, will probably add the XXX2 and new Hardens when those drop and call it a day for the early-season releases.
How will the curry 4’s handle in the outdoor rough courts? Will the traction be damaged easily because it’s rubber?
How is the fit of the curry’s compared to Nike basketball shoes? I wear a 10,5 in Nike basketball but I have no idea what size to order. The shoes are only available in other countries so not able to try them on in store.
Not sure if I should spend the £110 UK price tag on these, (which are high budget for me.) Or get Kyrie 3s discounted to £75.
What do you personally prefer as an overall better shoe?
Is the rounded outsole on the Kyries worth the hype?Because apparently it can help grip the floor, on a move if your foot is on its side.
Help would be appreciated. 🙂
Any idea when they are coming to the uk?
Hey, I wear a size 9 on most shoes. The closest thing that I got to this (fit wise) I would say are the kd 9 elites wich I also wear a size 9 in. Because I would rather go online to buy my shoes (Because my friend gets discounts on websites) do you think I should still go in store just in case or do you think I could just get a size 9 and I would be good for the fit?
@Nightwing what size do you wear in these?
Hey, between the Dame 4’s and the Curry 4’s, which do you prefer?
I’m 6′ and 130lbs looking for a quick, low-to-the-ground shoe with a solid fit and support for my narrow foot. For reference, the Clutch Fit Drive 3’s fit my foot well with the immense amount of padding that allowed me to really crank the laces; whereas, the curry 2.5, curry 3, KD 9, KD 9 Elite, and Zoom Live 2017 all left room in the forefoot for my feet to slide around or hurt my feet from the lace pressure. Would you recommend either the Dame 4’s or Curry 4’s for my needs? If not, what shoe would you recommend?
Appreciate the help!
curry 4 does have a slight lace pressure when laced tight, so the Dame 4 would be better in that regard. As for the rest, the shoes are almost identical in performance, although the Bounce has more cushioning feel.
I tried on the Curry 4’s and I’m a 10.5 and they felt a little loose but gave be more toe space but I also tried on a 10 and they were a little tighter but and I almost had the same amount of toe space. And felt a little better. So which size should I go with?
Absolutely love this shoe. Likely the best shoe ive ever worn and I’ve only plays about 4 and a half hours over a couple days. Just feel so good on foot and let you move as God designed.
Downside? Across the ankle there’s a hotspot that actually rubbed the top of my ankle raw like a blister. I went true to size and the rest of the foot feels amazing. I wonder if I’m lacking too tightly or too loosely?
As a center should I get this shoe? Does it have good ankle support and do I really need cushion
Ankle support is pretty good, cushion is basically nothing. I would not recommend these for a big man (I am a 4/5 as well). The CFD and Curry 1 were good for bigs. Curry 2 or 2.5. maybe depending on your preferences. The 3 I thought was too wobbly and stiff though it had good support; I didn’t like it. These are a guard or wing’s shoe IMO.
Should I buy the Curry 4’s for P.E. shoes?
Anyone having issues with where the knit and the synthetic meet especially on the medial side?
i’m seeing glue marks (like its been stretched past the point of no return).
I’ve had a pair of curry 4s (in the white with the black knit) opening at the seams
my black pair (with the white midsole) shows small glue marks coming through. (this is only after 1-2 sessions)
oddly enough the lateral sides (look spotless).
mind you i wear aso braces on both my ankles, so its probably stretching the shoe a bit, still
The Kyrie three is more attractive, more durable and has good traction. Don’t expect any cushion, I couldn’t feel the Zoom at all. I am not a big fan of either shoe for me personally but it sounds like you want something with court feel, traction and lateral mobility. Both offer it but given budget concerns, appearance and durability, I’d go with the K3
My teenage player bought pair of speckled black Curry 4 from Foot Locker. After wearing them four times for about two hours each on indoor basketball court, the think black outer layer wore off the toe. It appears to be a thin veneer that is probably sprayed on over the thicker base material. That base material is medium gray color. I expect more from a $130 shoe. They were purchased at Foot Locker on line. To make matters worse, the Foot Locker local brick and mortar stores don’t provide customer service for online purchases. Their online customer service is a joke.