Under Armour Curry 2 Low Performance Review

Under Armour came out strong with the second signature sneaker of reigning MVP Stephen Curry, the Curry 2 and they look to improve on the low. Will they meet our high expectations? Only one way to find out…the Under Armour Curry 2 Low performance review.

Pick up the Curry 2 Low at these retailers: Foot Locker | Under Armour | Eastbay

The Under Armour Curry 2 does a few things identical to the Mid, but not everything.

This review is about what the Under Armour Curry 2 Low does differently than the Mid. We are not going to waste your time telling you what you already know about the Curry 2 Low. The traction and cushion on the Curry 2 Low are identical to what’s found on the Mid so if you want an in depth look at these aspects of the Curry 2, refer to my original review of the Curry 2 here. The cliff notes version of the traction and cushion goes like this: traction will keep you covered in every direction regardless of floor conditions with minimal to no wiping, while the cushion setup is a guard-friendly responsive ride that lacks impact protection for more explosive and “big” players.

What the Curry 2 Low does differently than the Mid:

Materials

Under Armour introduced SpeedForm to the basketball world in the Curry 2 but the materials on the Mid didn’t give us a full SpeedForm experience. While UA did strip away the synthetic overlay on the forefoot from the Mid and replaced it with a more traditional SpeedFrom material on the Low, the Curry 2 Low gives us a better SpeedFrom experience that still falls short of we know UA can do. The material used on the tongue of the Curry 2 Mid is what is essentially used on the Low — a thicker mesh-type material that is extremely comfortable, especially when flexing in the forefoot; it is comparable to woven materials such as Jordan Brand’s performance woven upper or adidas’ Primeknit in function. While the feel and comfort of this new material on the Low is reminiscent of a woven material, it is much more durable and reinforced with a small Fuse overlay in the toe area that doesn’t get in your way during use.

Fit

While the upper has improved from a comfort standpoint, not much has changed in fit from the Mid to the Low. Fit is where SpeedFrom truly excels; it gives the user an unrivaled experience that makes the shoe an extension of your foot. The fit on the Curry 2 is exceptional, except it isn’t what we are used to seeing from other models that use the SpeedFrom technology. The fit in the Low is virtually identical to the Mid with a little less wiggle room in the forefoot as the new upper hugs to your foot slightly closer than the synthetic overlay on the Mid. The heel area is where things change the most for the Low as it uses a completely different material not found on the Mid, but is a staple in every other SpeedFrom model. This new material in the heel doesn’t affect the fit as much as it affects the support of the Curry 2 Low.

Under Armour Curry 2 Low Overall

Everything is the same, except for the heel. The same flimsy TPU heel cup from the Mid comes back onto the Low and with the change in materials in the heel portion of the Low, this heel cup just isn’t up to the task. While the flimsy heel cup worked on the Mid thanks to a reinforced Speedform material and mid-cut, the Low uses a completely new material that needs to be reinforced in its own way to provide the necessary security basketball players need.

At times, the heel in the Low feels like it isn’t even there, which is a great feeling when you don’t need to rely on heel for support, but a terrible feeling when you do. The heel cup barely does enough to keep your foot from shifting side to side while doesn’t nearly do enough to prevent heel slippage. It isn’t at the heel slippage level of say the Reebok Question, but the occasional slip in the heel is enough to distract you during use instead of letting you focus on the game. If you are a forefoot heavy player the heel will probably work in your favor, but if you use a variety of hop steps and pivots, the heel won’t necessarily fail you, but keep you wanting more from it. Had UA used a heel cup similar to the Curry 1, one that covers a larger portion of the heel, the Low might have had more security in this area keeping more explosive players from feeling like they don’t “trust” what the Low has to offer.

I like what they did with the Under Armour Curry 2 Low, but I don’t love it. The new material used on the Low is a keeper and hopefully they can convince Steph that this is the way of the future so that UA can get rid of any synthetic fuse overlays on the Curry 3. Not only is the fit slightly better, but the comfort factor in the Low is leagues better than the Mid, but the support in the Low takes half a step back. If you are not a low top lifer like some ballers are, the Under Armour Curry 2 Low is not going to be for you. The lack of support in the heel isn’t for everyone and can definitely turn some people off. Using the same flimsy heel cup that barely got the job done in the Mid on the Low just isn’t acceptable as UA switched up the materials in the heel entirely. If you are a forefoot heavy player that is light on your feet, then the heel won’t be a concern to you. However, for the rest of us, the Under Armour Curry 2 Low remains a low top lover’s shoe and not a low top shoe that can be loved by everyone.