First Opinion:
When you look at this shoe for the first time. It is as simple as it gets, a knitted upper with a few overlays, kind of like the Nike Roshe Run. But once you look a little closer, you’ll see this new logo… It looks like a hand gesturing a “3” and the logo looking like a “30” … You guessed it; this is the brand-new Stephen Curry’s logo! It is kind of like Dwyane Wade and Li-Ning, where there is a “Way of Wade” spin-off, and Michael Jordan and Nike, where there is a “Jordan Brand” spin-off.
The Under Armour Curry 8 features UA’s all-new UA Flow Cushioning which is also a foam setup. UA always tends to use foams just like Adidas which to be honest, I’m starting to wonder do brands really change up their tech much at all. On top of that, I’m also a little sceptical about the traction and durability as the traction pattern is etched into the foam and there is no rubber outsole at all.
Significant Tech Present in the Shoe:
- Knitted Upper
- Bootie Construction
- Pebax Shank Plate
- Internal Heel Counter
- UA Flow Cushioning
Aesthetics & Materials (8.5/10):
To be very honest, this really is not really my type of shoe. As mentioned in the First Opinion, the UA Curry 8 looks kind of like the Nike Roshe Run and even has a little Skechers feel as well. The knitted upper was really nice and comfortable from the get go, and it has a well-padded collar. That said, a knitted upper is usually linked to a lack of durability so the shoe may not be very durable, but so far there hasn’t been any issues.
If you ask me, the Curry 8 is not really the kind of shoe you would want to flex on or off court. However, in the NBA, several players have been seen wearing the UA Curry 8, most notably the Curry brothers Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) and Seth Curry (Philadelphia 76ers).
Fit (9/10):
The UA Curry 8 fits true-to-size throughout the whole shoe. With a knitted upper, you will require no break-in time at all. The Bootie construction of the shoe makes it feel like a sock with rubber slapped underneath. The foam is light so the shoe won’t feel like you’re dragging anything underneath your feet while you are running.
In terms of lockdown, the simple lacing structure, together with the knitted upper was enough to keep your feet within the shoe. To add on to that, the Internal Heel Counter keeps your heel in place as well.
Support (9/10):
If you are looking for a shoe filled with awesome and unique tech, the UA Curry 8 may not be that shoe. There really isn’t much in terms of tech on the upper of the shoe. There are several overlays on the lateral and medial side of the shoe seems to help a little with the shoe’s structure but I won’t say that that helps with support.
There is a Pebax® Shank Plate to provide torsional support and an Internal Heel Counter to provide the heel support that you need. Not only that, the Curry 8 also has a flat and wide base which increases stability.
The thing that really surprises me is that the Curry 8 is still pretty supportive. This is one model that adds to the list of basketball shoes that does not seem supportive but is. This list includes models like the Nike Hyperrev, the Adidas N3XT L3V3L and the N3XT L3V3L 2.
Cushioning (9/10):
UA’s all new Flow Cushioning. That’s what the UA Curry 8 features. This is also a cushioning setup that’s found on several running shoes. It is another foam setup which adds on to UA’s Micro-G, Charged Foam and HOVR. With foam setups, you already know there is not going to be a lot of bounce-back.
That said, the impact protection was pretty decent and even though the cushioning does not feel like much, I did not experience any pain after playing a while in the Curry 8. The comfort was superb whether you’re just walking around in the shoe or running on court. Not only that, the setup is really low to the ground and the court feel was amazing.
With foam, there’s always a risk of the foam bottoming out, which means the foam gets compressed over time until a point where it can barely return to its original state. So far, I have yet to experience that but we never know.
Traction (9.5/10):
No rubber outsole at all. You heard it right, we are playing in shoes with no outsoles now. If you think I’m kidding, go to your nearest store, pick up an UA Curry 8 and turn it around… You’ll see.
So, the traction pattern is etched into the midsole, which once again reminds me of the Nike Roshe Run setup. Nike has tried to do something like that with some performance models, especially runners, but will definitely put rubber in some high-wear areas.
Surprisingly though, the traction pattern worked really well. Whether it was lateral movements, coming to a stop or just sprinting, the shoe seemed to hold its own. The grab on the court was pretty solid indoors and definitely great outdoors.
Talking about outdoors, the durability of the traction pattern was surprisingly good as well which you would not have thought of, given that there’s no rubber on there.
Final Conclusion: (9/10)
Overall, the UA Curry 8 was really very impressive. If you feel that the review is a little shorter than usual, it’s because the shoe is just very simple in terms of the setup and tech. That said, simple doesn’t mean poor performance and the Curry 8 is a testament of that. It is just such a solid performer. Looking at the UA Curry 9 coming up soon, I really hope that the same performance elements can be found on them as well.
credit: bballequips