UA Infinite Elite 2 Performance Review

Last year, Under Armour returned to high-end performance running with the UA Infinite Elite. It was a mixed bag of pros and cons. Does the UA Infinite Elite 2 take what the design team learned from the original and improve it? Let’s find out.

What is the UA Infinite Elite 2?

According to Under Armour, the UA Infinite Elite 2 is “the ultimate expression of HOVR+ cushioning with an adaptive two-piece upper for a 360-degree fit and comfort – for all the miles ahead.”

Right off the bat, it’s going to be hard for the UA Infinite Elite 2 to be the ultimate version of HOVR+ when the UA x Speedland Infinite Mega and its incredible, large stack of ultra squishy HOVR+ exists. But that shoe is also $90 more expensive…so no one should expect the Infinite Elite 2 to be better.

And it’ll also be hard for the Infinite Elite 2 to beat the comfortable Intelliknit upper found on the original while downgrading to an engineered mesh.

So, based on Under Armour’s marketing language, we’re going in skeptical.

Cushion

Drew: The HOVR+ midsole on the UA Infinite Elite 2 feels eerily similar to the original. Though the midsole, with its horizontal lines, looks different from the side view, the overall shape is the same. The HOVR+ also feels the same underfoot.

That feel is comfortably plush but not too squishy. It’s still a really good shoe for standing or walking all day. It’s stable enough to avoid any discomfort but has enough give to provide some impact protection. However, the cushion isn’t quite enough to feel comfortable going long distances. It’s just too static and doesn’t provide the give that we know HOVR+ can provide thanks to the aforementioned Infinite Mega.

Luckily, the heel feels much more natural than the clunky heel on the original. The plastic guiderails used as stabilizing pieces are gone, so now the forefoot and heel feel like they’re on the same page. Because of this, the UA Infinite Elite’s heel clomp is resolved, and the Infinite Elite 2 feels fairly smooth from heel (or wherever you land) to toe.

Arune, this is your first Infinite Elite experience, how did the midsole treat you?

Arune: Honestly, if you told me this was a new edition of the venerable Brooks Ghost, I might believe it – and I mean that in the best way. The cushion feels very similar to me underfoot.

Like the Ghost, the UA Infinite Elite 2 has enough cushion for me to be in it for short periods of time, but I wouldn’t want this shoe underfoot for a long distance effort (as Drew said).

There’s nothing too distinctive about the cushion, but that’s also an upside for this kind of shoe. It’s not going to rock the boat for the casual runner and won’t change running mechanics for the experienced one.

Support

Drew: Though the guiderails are gone, the UA Infinite Elite 2 feels just as stable as the original. The bottom heavy nature of the shoe, along with the midsole flaring wide around the entire body of the shoe, means I stayed on top of the platform despite tight turns, some uneven ground, and a snowy run where my footing was never secure. This is top-of-the-line stability for a daily trainer.

Arune: In the world of stability shoes, my gold standard is the recent Saucony Guide 18 which felt like pure joy for running short or long distances.

While the UA Infinite Elite 2 is a very solid entry, I felt the heel get away from me when I compressed it. I imagine that I need to alter my footstrike or gait a bit to address that issue.

Traction

Drew: The outsole is exactly the same as on the original Infinite Elite, making it again a mixed bag. The UA Infinite Elite 2’s outsole is made with blown rubber, so the durability isn’t good. After my first 10 miles, I could already see a bit too much wear in my landing and takeoff zones. However, this outsole does grip well. While it lasts, you’ll have a shoe with highly dependable traction.

Arune: Sunny Los Angeles strikes again, so I didn’t get to test this in wet conditions. But I had no issue on pavement, grass, and some gravel trails around the LA River. 

[Editor’s Note: We get it. You live in LA. Now mention Erewhon and the $20 strawberry…]

Like Drew said, this outsole looks like it’s gonna wear through so quickly that it could give Hoka a run for its money with the lack of outsole durability. [Editor’s Note: The shade of it all…But you’re not wrong.]

Upper

Drew: The upper on the UA Infinite Elite 2 is a downgrade. The Intelliknit from the original looked cool, was comfortable, and molded to the foot. The new, engineered mesh upper on the UA Infinite Elite 2 is traditional running shoe fare and doesn’t stand out like the Intelliknit did.

It’s still comfortable (especially the tongue padding), and the half-bootie/gusseted tongue combination was appreciated; but it’s nothing you wouldn’t expect from a daily running shoe priced at $160.

Arune: I made a comparison to the Brooks Ghost at the beginning, and that kinda comes back here with the upper. This feels like the love child of a Ghost and an Asics Nimbus in that it’s a comfortable upper but feels (and looks) like a typical running shoe.

Is the UA Infinite Elite 2 wide foot friendly?

Drew: No. The UA Infinite Elite 2’s forefoot – especially around the ball of the foot – and the heel are too narrow to be a great option for wide-footers. Most wide-footers will need to look elsewhere.

Arune: My hobbit feet felt quite comfortable in this shoe, but any wider a midfoot and I’d have been in some real trouble.

Is the UA Infinite Elite 2 worth $160?

Drew: The UA Infinite Elite 2’s $160 price point is in line with other high-stack daily running shoe options. BUT…the cushion can’t equal our favorites in the $150-$165 price band, making it hard to recommend at full price. It’s more palatable if you can secure a coupon that lowers the price to around $140.

Arune: On one hand, if UA considers the Infinite Elite 2 its core daily trainer, then this is priced in the right range.

On the other hand, the recurring theme from both reviewers here is that there’s nothing distinctive about the Elite 2; and that makes it hard to choose in a year with truly elite [Editor’s Note: I see what you did there] daily trainers like the adidas Evo SL.

If you love the UA ecosystem and live by the brand, then I can see this being your pick. But it won’t be a shoe I recommend over everything that Asics, Saucony, Nike, and others are offering with greater performance around the same price point.

How to use the UA Infinite Elite 2

The UA Infinite Elite 2 is best used as a daily running shoe that soaks up miles on the treadmill or outdoors. It’s also built well to be a good walking or standing shoe for those who are on their feet all day.

UA Infinite Elite 2 Summary

Drew: The UA Infinite Elite 2 isn’t the best Under Armour running shoe. The Infinite Mega is. The Infinite Elite 2 is comfortable and dependable but just doesn’t feel good enough underfoot to ascend to the upper echelon of running shoes. Hopefully, Under Armour creates a hybrid of the Infinites in the future to push the brand into the best running shoes conversation.

Arune: While there’s nothing objectively wrong with it, the UA Infinite Elite 2 is a middle-of-the-pack daily trainer that doesn’t distinguish itself in any way.

However, there is a foundation for something really special in the future, and I’m curious to see if UA can find what that is with the next iteration of this model.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 200lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Arune Singh (age 43, 5’11”, 210lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming from Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos, along with logging 30-40 miles of running per week. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.

Disclosure

While Under Armour did provide pairs of the UA Infinite Elite 2 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.