Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the last true movie STARS in Hollywood – an actor who seems larger than life and who’s name on a project almost always means guaranteed success (yes, including Black Adam, which I watched eight times in one week…which the Rock appreciated).
(Editor’s Note: Arune, you know there are…other movies, right?)
He’s also made quite an impact with his Under Armour partnership, one that has him front & center at nearly every UA store you’ll visit, with more space dedicated to him than any other of the company’s sports partners (like Steph Curry).
But with all that, it seems like the Project Rock line of training gear tends to fly a bit under the radar, especially the PR line of training shoes. There was curiously little media attention given to his latest release, the Under Armour Project Rock 6.
Last year, we declared the Project Rock 5 (AKA the PR5) to be one of the best training shoes of the year and one of my personal favorites over the last decade.
Well, Under Armour was gracious enough to send the Weartesters team some pairs of the Project Rock 6 to review, but the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it and has not attempted to influence this review.
So let’s crack open that Teramana, chug some Zoa and see if we wanna smell what The Rock is cooking this year.
Under Armour Project Rock 6
Price: $160
Weight: 14.5 oz.
Drop: 6mm
Sizing: True to size
How do the Authors Train?
Arune Singh (age 41, 5’11”, 215lbs): Trains daily with functional fitness programming provided by Deadboys Fitness, founded by Colby “Seth Rollins” Lopez and Josh Gallegos. He also runs five times a week, averaging 20 miles per week, and will be participating in multiple 5K races this year. He also has a medical history of Sleep Apnea and Myasthenia Gravis, meaning Arune’s focus is on lean muscle mass.
Drew Whitcomb (age 41, 6’6″ 195lbs): Trains daily with a focus on running, strength training, and mobility. He writes the majority of our running shoe reviews and runs a lot of miles both due to testing needs and his growing affinity for long-distance races. His strength training and mobility regimen centered around maintaining flexibility and lifting heavy to build power as a counterbalance to all the long-distance running he’s doing. His number one focus is staying injury free so he can keep up the sweet gig of reviewing shoes.
What is the Under Armour Project Rock 6?
Under Armour describes it as:
The new PR6 features upgrades developed and put to the test by Dwayne Johnson. This new version of a community favorite is more supportive, comfortable, and stable than ever before.
The shoe has a 6mm drop and weighs 14.5 oz.
Pros
Train Like The Rock
Arune: I don’t know if there’s anyone who uses social media and hasn’t seen The Rock’s legendary workout videos. The man likes to lift heavy and lift frequently, so I can absolutely see why the Project Rock 6 was developed with that in mind.
It’s not a shoe for Olympic lifts or for functional fitness classes – nor does it pretend to be. The Project Rock 6 is made to lift like The Rock, gripping the floor with the criminally underrated TriBase sole so you can bench, squat, and deadlift to your heart’s delight.
This is a shoe that seems made for casual lifters and weekend warriors – which means it may not be for you, but it’ll be great for a general audience looking for the one shoe to do everything in the gym.
It’s also where I feel this shoe has changed the most from the PR5 – that shoe felt like it was taking the Project Rock shoe line in a direction of being more functional fitness friendly and now it’s more focused (for better or worse) on typical gym sessions.
Drew: I’m confused by the Project Rock line. As Arune mentioned, the PR5 was functional fitness friendly and then the Project Rock 6 is now focused on basic lifts. Is Under Armour shifting focus every other year on purpose?
This is likely highly confusing for consumers who like a specific year’s model and then go back for the next year only to be surprised with a different set of features/characteristics.
That said, I’m glad TriBase returns as I always feel extra stable with it below my feet. But, for the most part, I don’t train like The Rock (Editor’s Note: For the most part? You’ve never, ever trained like The Rock), so the use case of this shoe was sort of lost on me.
The People’s Stability Champion
Arune: I tested the Project Rock 6 with a variety of lifts, plyometrics, and even some cardio, so I feel like I got to know these shoes pretty well
And if there’s one thing I know for sure, I never wobbled or felt like I had to readjust my feet to do some heavy squats, deadlifts, lunges or any of the key movements in The Rock’s daily training.
Drew: Stability is the Project Rock 6’s number one feature. During squats, deadlifts, and leg presses my feet stayed right where I wanted them without any sliding. That allowed me to focus on pushing through them and getting the weight up. The Project Rock 6 doesn’t get in the way when stability is required.
Eyebrow Raising Aesthetics
Arune: I have bought every Project Rock shoe since the Project Rock Delta and, for better or worse, no two pairs of these shoes look the same to me at all. I think the midsole has some similar DNA from the PR4 to the PR5, but the styling feels so different on each of them.
But, honestly, it doesn’t bother me – I think the Rock’s training shoes have always looked really good on feet and the Project Rock 6 is no exception. This one feels like it leans more into the tactical aesthetic of the Project Rock Delta.
While it’s not quite the universally beloved ON aesthetic that makes shoes like the Cloud X 3 a perfect gym to casual date kinda shoe, I definitely think this shoe works for going out to a ballgame, to the airport or even grabbing brunch at your favorite laidback spot.
Plus, I’m a sucker for gum soles.
Drew: You’re right, the gum sole was a nice touch. And the overall look says “I put in the work but still want to wear a modern shoe.”
However, I think UA Clone uppers, while comfortable, look a little sloppy. I find the back half of the shoe much more appealing than the front half…though the bottom lace loops that attach beneath the footbed both look cool and help the shoe, with it’s strapped up back half, look like a cohesive whole.
It definitely looks like a shoe The Rock would wear to the gym, so it’s place as his latest signature shoe is well-earned.
Cons
The Midsole is Truly MID
Arune: Look, I always seem to go first, but I’m gonna let Drew get his thoughts out here because he really does NOT like this midsole.
Drew: This midsole claims to be HOVR, but it doesn’t provide any of the softness I usually get out of a HOVR midsole. It’s really firm and kinda dead. Adding to the discomfort, the midsole is substantial, making the Project Rock 6 feel clompy and bottom heavy. Even the walks to and from my car and the gym weren’t all that comfortable. I found it hard to crease the foam on this shoe even though I’m a big guy.
Someone overcooked the foam and instead of starting over, just served us this subpar mess. My advice is to fire the current foam maker and hire a new one (Editor’s Note: weirdest cooking analogy ever).
Arune: Remind me never to disappoint you, boss.
Suffice it to say I agree with Drew’s assessment.
While the shoe is stable, that giant slab of midsole meat absolutely ruins this shoe for me – and might well be part of how I injured myself recently (more on that).
There is absolutely no ground feel, which gets in your way as you’re working on more complex movements – like snatches – because you can’t plant your feet as naturally as you would with something like the impossible to beat Reebok Nano 2.0.
It also became incredibly distracting as I felt like I had to brace my entire body differently during my lifts and cardio. I actually suffered a back injury while training in the Project Rock 6 and while that’s ultimately on me, I do know that adjusting my mechanics with these shoes took my mind off of certain fundamentals and now I’m in a ton of pain. That’s something I’ve never experienced while testing shoes.
And like Drew said, this shoe is HEAVY. I don’t normally notice weight in shoes but this one absolutely felt like wearing cement shoes. While I initially had similar concerns with the PR5, those went away quickly…but the Project Rock 6 feels heavier every time I put them on.
Price
Arune: I know that times are changing, but I cannot get over the price tag of $160. That might be the most expensive training shoe I’ve reviewed with Drew.
It’s not only $10 more than the last model, but more than the cost of any of the shoes I’d rank above it – Reebok Nano 2.0, Reebok Nano X3, ON Cloud X 3 and so many more.
I understand that everything costs more these days (Editor’s Note: EVERYTHING), but the Project Rock 6 is leading the pack in price while not leading in performance and that’s a tough one for me.
Should I just get over the price, Drew?
Drew: No, you shouldn’t. And I don’t think anyone should buy the Project Rock 6 unless it’s on sale. The price does not match the performance.
Not for Cardio
Arune: Look, I am famously particular about the shoes I use for cardio – just ask Drew about our many chats on the WearTesters Discord – and so it’s rare I like any training shoe for cardio.
But the Project Rock 6 is definitely at the very bottom of that list, especially given how unnatural it felt while running, rowing and using an air bike.
See, Drew? I can be succinct.
Drew: There’s a first time for everything! An old dog can learn new tricks! You can make an omelet without breaking eggs! You can…ok, I’ll stop. Really I’m just trying to delay the inevitable, which is having to say running in the Project Rock 6 is a nonstarter.
You could get away with some elliptical or indoor cycling/Peloton, but even cycling isn’t a great experience due to the beefiness of these shoes. So yeah, just avoid wearing them on cardio days because between the bulk and lack of ground feel, you won’t feel fast.
Is the Project Rock 6 for You?
Arune: This is the kind of shoe I would’ve liked when I started lifting – it’s comfortable enough, it’s made for the more basic lifts I focused on (bench press, bicep curls, squats) and, I’ll be honest, it gets me motivated to workout like The Rock.
I think that’s really the audience – beginners or folks who are more casual gym goers, like the aforementioned weekend warriors.
Drew: 100% agree with Arune here. Beginners, occasional gym goers, and Rock fans are the target audience.
Under Armour Project Rock 6 Summary
Arune: Under Armour seemed to turn a corner with the Project Rock 5, but unfortunately the Project Rock 6 misses the mark as a truly versatile fitness shoe.
My hope is that the Project Rock 7 next year (Editor’s Note: You know it’s rough when reviewers are already looking forward to next year’s model) gets us back on the path the PR5 sent us down and that we’re praising the return to form. It would be a shame if The Rock’s shoe line tapped out this quickly when it seemed primed to be a truly main event player.
Drew: In my experience with Project Rock models, Under Armour hasn’t been able to string two great ones together. Hopefully that changes soon but at least it means the Project Rock 7 should fix all the problems holding back the performance of the Project Rock 6.
