Under Armour broke new ground last year with the Slingflex, a performance runner with a casual look and a Threadborne upper. This year we get the Slingflex Rise; it also utilizes a Threadborne upper but with a few obvious changes.
“This shoe was supposed to be in between the Slingflex and the Delta 2 from a silhouette standpoint,” Reggie Wilson, the shoe’s designer, told WearTesters.
First, the Slingflex Rise gets a higher collar, a feature that has been popular with Under Armour the past year (the Highlight Delta 2 and the killer HOVR Phantom both have it). The knit, which covers the ankle, should be comfortable enough to not rub you raw.
“The upper is built very similar to the Slingflex,” continued Wilson. “Stretchy knit is used for the upper and is reinforced in the midfoot and heel. The reinforcement in the midfoot also locks in the laces that weave in and out to create a smooth interior. The original Slingflex is built with a traditional tongue while the Slingflex Rise is a reinforced sock construction. The heel is also reflective for visibility.”
The second change is the variable lacing. The side panels feature three different lacing loops to customize your fit and lock you in.
“If you look at the original Slingflex, the lateral side knit pattern looks like laces weaving in and out of the upper,” said Wilson. “The Slingshot medial side knit pattern allowed the wearer to customize their fit from a performance and style standpoint. I put these two concepts together and came up with the idea of weaving laces through the upper that the wearer can customize to their fit and aesthetic.”
The midsole is Charged, with the usual softer foam layer on top, for comfort, and the stiffer layer on the bottom for stability and response (the Slingflex and Fortis from 2017 used the same midsole and felt great underfoot). A Micro G insole tops off the cushioning.
“The midsole is the same as the original Slingflex,” Wilson told WearTesters. “It was inspired by the run crew (think of the District Run Club in Washington D.C.) where the runners will run through the urban environment and stop at the bar to socialize after the run. The shoe needed to work in both environments.”
Priced at $100, the Under Armour Slingflex Rise is available now in four colorways at UnderArmour.com (in both men’s and women’s sizing). Of course, a review will be underway as soon as the shoes are in our hands, so stay tuned.
To keep up with Wilson’s designs you can follow him @reggie2k4. Shout out to Kenlu.net for these images.
Images via Kenlu.net
With HOVR in 3 weeks I gotta wait. The Slingflex rocked (even tho the white was impossible to keep clean) so I’d easily own these…but HOVR…