Under Armour Flow FUTR 3
The Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 can be described as fast, smooth, and responsive and is one of the best Under Armour Basketball shoes to date.
Release Date: 2023
Price: $125
The “other ” Under Armour shoe for men featuring Flow technology, the FUTR has actually been neck-and-neck with the Curry line for performance (and better in the case of the first FUTR model). How does the FUTR 3 measure up? Here we go, here we go, YO! Time to (word to D-Nice)…
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Review
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Tech Specs:
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Traction
So, you’re thinking, it’s Flow, and it’s in the same basic setup and design as the Curry 8-11, so it probably performs the same. You would be correct. One of the all-time best traction materials and patterns and it sticks to clean floors like a shoe with great traction should (I tried to get word-y there but it failed me). As long as the court is at least swept you should be good on all jab steps, cuts, stepbacks, and crossovers into your floaters.
But as we all know, once dust starts living in those foam grooves, it’s the Winter Olympics. BUT – and this is a Megan-sized but – this color of the FUTR 3 has painted Flow, giving it slightly better stickiness than the white foam. The paint (or dye, whatever) doesn’t allow the dust to cake on so your super grip stays consistent longer and better.
One more thing about this setup, and it could be cushioning but I am putting it here because I am the reviewer – the structure of the midsole helps with all-over traction and transition. Having the flex groove behind the forefoot and the flex grooves at the heel means the shoe stays in contact with the floor at a higher volume of outsole and the transition is more natural in the open floor.
Outdoors? Up to you. It’s foam, courts are concrete – it will last as long as the pattern is there. I can’t say how long because I am not wasting my $130 outside.
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Cushioning
If you have worn any Flow basketball shoes then you know what Flow is. It’s not extremely bouncy but it absorbs impact very well with very little compression, helping your foot into the next move as quickly as possible. You won’t feel a lot as far as feedback like a Boost or Zoom but I have never had any impact issues with my knees or lower back (that wasn’t my own broken body).
The best thing about Flow is the lifespan – you get a consistent feeling for a long LONG time. I have Curry 8s I have only worn indoors and the Flow feels the same as the Curry 11 and FUTR 3. If you need a low-riding, court-feel shoe with good impact protection, then you obviously need some Flow.
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Materials
OOOOOOHHHHH, here’s where we get NICE!!!! I can’t tell if it’s real leather or not, but it sure feels like it (the surface says yes, but UA hasn’t been known for leather on basketball shoes). Either way, the leather is soft and provides a lux touch, but it’s also used in high-stress and wear areas, like the toe rand and around into the midfoot as a stability layer. This colorway had the best looking and feeling leather, one reason I grabbed it, but the other colorways make the same use of the material as a guard over the IntelliKnit.
Yeah, I said it – IntelliKnit. I love IntelliKnit. It’s soft, flexible, and comfy in all the right ways but still strong and sturdy in areas where it needs to be. In this image, you can see the multi-directional knit for lateral stability across the toebox but then it switches to a vertical form in the midfoot for lateral stability. It’s the closest thing to a sock-knit upper I have in my closet and combined with the leather overlays it’s a stable, great-fitting, and comfortable ride that just works.
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Support
If you need ankle braces inside your shoe, you don’t need these. If you need just enough support to keep you upright but want to turn and burn down the court, here you go. Once again the lacing, overlays, and straps keep you in and the wide, stable base keeps you from rolling over on cuts and curls and defense. The rounded heel would cause problems if it wasn’t so wide. Your foot is caged inside that midsole, so again, you are good. A TPU midfoot shank keeps your arch from bottoming out without feeling like a Red Wing steel toe.
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Fit
My favorite part of the shoe!!! One thing Under Armour almost always, 99% of the time, gets right, is fit. They have figured out how to use different materials and layering and internal padding to make their shoes wrap around your foot and lock in. This shouldn’t be a surprise since they’re an apparel company first and foremost. UA perfected the baselayer fit and feel and carried it over into footwear years ago. We already talked about the leather and the IntelliKnit so let’s skip to the seatbelts you see across the top of the foot.
The first FUTR used a great, innovative midfoot strap integrated into the lacing system to pull the shoe over your foot. The second FUTR disappeared the strap but was still a locked-in wonder. Now the 3 uses elastic straps anchored into the lacing system to hold the containment to a maximum. I honestly could have worn these without laces and probably been okay. Now, if you have a high instep or have top-of-foot pain from injuries, you may not enjoy these, but my right foot has a permanent hump on the top (from breaking my foot and not fixing it – listen to the doctors, kids), and I had no issue.
The heel has some thick, almost memory foam-like padding around the heel and achilles, and combined with the lacing and straps, you ain’t moving around much in the shoe. Lengthwise I would stick to your Curry/Nike size. Unless you are a wiiiiide footer true to size should work.
Under Armour Flow FUTR 3 Overall
This is, at this point in time, my favorite Under Armour basketball shoe since the FUTR 1. It’s the best fit, best traction, and best materials on an Under Armour shoe that you can get right now. I still think the Spawn has better cushioning (that Micro G is SERIOUS!!) but the Flow FUTR 3 is a beast on the court. Fast, smooth, and responsive – it makes you want to play fast and fly.
If you’re looking for a shoe that is an all-around performer, with a premium on fit and traction, you can’t miss the Flow FUTR 3. If you aren’t a Curry fan (what’s wrong with you???) but want to try Flow, this is it. Just remember where you heard it – Under Armour is still out there doing what they do – making gear to make you better. The FUTR 3 may not help your jumper but it won’t be the shoe’s fault.
These look serious