Under Armour HOVR Tour SL Performance Review

Despite the uninspiring name, the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL is far from an underwhelming and generic performer. 

Under Armour’s footprint on TOUR is fairly small compared to the likes of Nike, Adidas, FJ, and Puma, but after giving these bad boys a run, there’s absolutely no reason why the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL shouldn’t be in your golf bag.

The awesome, futuristic look drew me in, but the performance kept me coming back. With that being said, let’s take an in-depth look at the HOVR Tour SL.

Pros

IntelliKnit Upper

The Under Armour HOVR Tour SL features an all-knit upper, something UA calls IntelliKnit. The IntelliKnit upper was designed to provide a unique combination of stretch, lockdown, breathability, and comfort.

Marketing ploy? No way. I found these claims to be absolutely true. From the first time I put these on, I found the IntelliKnit upper to be extremely comfortable. I loved the stretchy feel. On top of feeling comfortable, the upper did a good job at fitting more snuggly where it needed to.

Often with knits, there is worry about the material being too stretchy, but I found the IntelliKnit upper a perfect combo of flexibility, stretchability, and rigidity (if that makes sense). It held me in place, but in a gentle, comfortable way.

On top of that, because the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL is made primarily of the IntelliKnit, the shoes were very breathable, which I love. Right now in Arizona, we’re hitting well over 100 degrees, so I need maximum breathability. The HOVR Tour SL absolutely fits the bill.

Traction

The Under Armour HOVR Tour SL features a spikeless TPU outsole with injected soft rubber nubs placed where more flexibility is needed.

UA’s goal? Make a spikeless shoe with the traction of a spiked one. They accomplished this feat with what they call “UA Rotational Resistance Traction”. 

The combination of the rigid, TPU nubs and the injected softer nubs did in fact provide plenty of traction. I took these on a trip to Utah where it’s been a little wetter than Arizona and experienced more of the same. 

When going after a drive on a longer Par 5, or hitting off of an awkward lie for my second shot into a Par 4, I felt completely confident in the setup. The only time my feet moved is when I wanted them too. That’s the sign of a good traction pattern.

Admittedly I expected great things out of these, mainly because the pattern looks very similar to the FootJoy Flex that I reviewed a few weeks back. I wasn’t disappointed.

Need something to keep you planted in wet or dry conditions while maintaining the low-key looks and feel of a spikeless shoe? This should be your go-to.

HOVR Cushion

I’ve never experienced HOVR before, which might be weird to some. I stopped playing in UA basketball shoes back when they still used Charged, so this was a new experience for me. 

The HOVR midsole was good, not great. My personal preference for golf shoe cushions is firm but comfortable. I found the HOVR to be plenty firm. The firmness helps transfer energy from your back leg to your front leg during the downswing because it keeps your foot stable. I don’t want to feel like I’m sinking into the shoe when I transfer my weight to that side, so that’s why firmness is important to me.

And as a decent-sized human, the comfort side of things is important, too. I want some comfort, and I don’t want my feet to hurt after the round (not asking much here). These provided adequate comfort, but nothing to really write home about.

Because the HOVR cushion checked most of the boxes for me, I’m still calling it a win in the cushion department. You aren’t going to be disappointed by these, but won’t be blown away. Nonetheless, I’m not complaining. The low-profile cushion is probably the preference for some of you!

Cons

Lockdown

My biggest annoyance with the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL is the lockdown. Despite these fitting true to size, I found myself experiencing quite a bit of heel slippage…something you just can’t have when you’re making powerful moves in the golf swing.

Maybe it’s due to the non-traditional lacing system, or the shape of the heel cup, but my heel was just moving all over the place anytime I walked or swung a club.

I can’t say that this caused me to play any worse than normal, but it was quite irritating, and for sure didn’t HELP my performance. With that being said though, maybe if you have a wider foot you’ll find these to fit a little more snuggly!

Under Armour HOVR Tour SL Summary

Despite the minor lockdown issues of the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL, I’ve had an extremely hard time reaching for any other pair when I head out to the course. As I mentioned at the beginning, the awesome looks drew me in, but the performance has me hooked.

If I could sum up the Under Armour HOVR Tour SL, I would say that it’s a great-looking shoe with spikeless traction that punches above its weight, a fantastic knit upper, and cushioning that doesn’t hold it back.

If you can swallow the possible lockdown issues and the fairly steep $180 price tag, I’d say snatch up a pair of these immediately!