Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone Performance Review

The Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone kicks off Jalique’s 2022 performance reviews and this may be a great performer under the right conditions. It is actually one of the top available Under Armour models.

Traction

For the most part, the performance of the Havoc 4’s combined blade, herringbone, and angular pattern outsole was a success, though not perfect. The pattern itself handles multiple floor conditions so long as you can keep the outsole dust-free.

Unfortunately, keeping dust from sticking to the outsole is a big task in that type of setting, which is where the Havoc 4 struggles. Because the tread is overall on the flatter side and there is possibly a different rubber compound used for the colored sections, dust not only is attracted but difficult to remove.

Those colored sections do not quite feel pliable compared to the solid white rubber sections, so it seemed that instead of the tread flicking or brushing dust away, it accumulated and compacted itself onto the surface, making toe-offs and changes of direction a little on the slick side. In addition, a quick wipe doesn’t do much to help unless you are wiping at nearly every possession from the very first play. Hopefully, everyone that plays in them sees cleaner floors. That ‘s where the Havoc 4 really excels.

Cushion

The full-length Micro-G with a nice slab of HOVR in the heel makes for a great ride. I would prefer more HOVR, possibly full-length, to get a little more bounce throughout the entire midsole, but I am really happy with the direction Micro-G has gone in the Under Armour family.

Expect a fluid ride with a good blend of court feel, cushion, and if you’re a heel striker — a good amount of impact protection in the area.

Materials

Clone uppers, to my understanding, all have a quilted, form-fitting nature regardless of materials. I still have not been able to confirm, but I would be highly surprised if the Havoc 4 Clone didn’t feature at least a small fraction of genuine leather.

If the Clone used here is 100% synthetic, this would possibly be the best imitation of genuine leather I have ever experienced — soft, non-abrasive flexibility, and even the smell all come off as real even if the grain doesn’t appear to be. I absolutely loved playing in this type of upper.

Fit

While I will not say the Clone upper makes a complete one-to-one fit, I would still recommend true to size for pretty much everyone including slighty wide footers. If you would prefer to have a little wiggle room up front, then you could go up a half-size, but I personally was very comfortable in true size. Even with a little extra space on the sides, a good cinch up was all that was needed and I never felt any harsh or dangerous shifts in the Havoc 4.

Support

Support features are what I have come to expect from an Under Armour team basketball shoe — a decent cup built-in for heel support as well as a tiny bit of torsional support within the midsole. None of it stands out as special but should get the job done for the average hooper.

If the Havoc 4 was indeed originally intended to be Joel Embiid’s signature follow-up, then you could consider this a downgrade as far as support goes with the removal of the mid-foot cage for lateral containment. As I said though, the typical player should have no issues whatsoever with this support setup.

Overall

True Under Armour basketball enthusiasts should absolutely love the HOVR Havoc 4 Clone as it is reminiscent of some classic UA sneakers as well as sprinkling in new tech and innovation as a result of some R&D.

Even taking brand names out of the equation, the Havoc 4 stands tall among basketball performance models, with the only real ‘flaw’ being the need for frequent outsole cleaning on a dustier indoor surface. If you’d like to give the Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone a shot, your options are to purchase some of the more interesting colorways from overseas here, or you can find some team color options stateside at regional and smaller retailers/resellers, some of which you can find here.

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First Impressions and Initial Review

Is it the Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone, or was it a follow-up to Joel Embiid’s first signature, the UA Embiid 1? Regardless, we had to get our hands on a pair to review for your viewing pleasure.

What’s in the video?

In the video, Jalique provides detailed information from all the usual categories, providing the in depth information you need. He supplies expert level opinions on the materials, cushioning, traction, support, and fit. Here’s some of what he discusses:

• Was this a scrapped signature for Joel Embiid?
• Overseas and stateside options via eBay
• Multi-patterned outsole
• Evolution of the Embiid 1’s Micro-G and HOVR midsole
• Variations of Under Armour’s Clone technology for the shoe upper
• Quilted synthetic leather with a premium feel
• Standard support features
• Sizing recommendations

Let us know your opinion on the Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone on YouTube or Twitter.

How to Buy the Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone

The Under Armour HOVR Havoc 4 Clone will be available from both stateside and overseas sellers at eBay.

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