New Under Armour HOVR Drive GTX golf shoes unveiled

Last year I reviewed the original Under Armour HOVR Drive golf shoes, and I really quite liked them. The styling was modern while still being understated, and they were incredibly lightweight (over a third lighter than the Adidas Tour360 XT), while also being comfortable, waterproof and pretty stable.

New for 2020, the American manufacture have come out with an update – UA HOVR Drive GTX. They’ve used the original foundations laid down from the previous model, and looked to improve where they can, so I’m definitely looking forward to giving this shoe a test. Look out for my review – coming soon!

For the latest version, Under Armour are placing the focus for the HOVR Drive GTX squarely on comfort.

“The average round of golf takes over 4 hours to complete, not including the warm-up and cool-down activities leading up to and following a full-round of 18 holes. This leaves golfers spending more time in their shoes than athletes in any other sport. Within that timespan, players log thousands of steps from hole to hole in addition to repeatedly pivoting, rotating and pressuring their feet to produce the most powerful and accurate shots possible. With this challenge in mind, Under Armour set out to create a shoe that focuses on comfort above all else, without sacrificing the power and performance that’s needed in a golfer’s every swing. The result? The UA HOVR Drive GTX.”

COMFORT TO KEEP YOU GOING

According to Under Armour, “the UA HOVR cushioning technology provides maximum comfort and support, without jeopardizing the shoe’s lightweight build. Because of this, golfers who don the UA HOVR Drive GTX are able to play comfortably and efficiently, freeing up more energy to be spent on power and precision while on the links.”

What’s in the shoe?

To start with (as the clue’s in the name), UA are using their HOVR^TM foam technology in the midsole. This is an impressive foam providing good levels of both comfort and energy return. The later is aided by the use of their compression ‘Energy Web’ technology, which helps absorb as much energy as possible and then return I back, giving a ‘springy’ feel to the shoe. I liked the technology in the original HOVR Drive, so I see myself liking it here too!

The upper is again made from a Clarino^TM microfibre material, which is lightweight and breathable. For this latest edition Gore-tex^TM has also been added, which will no doubt help in this area.

The sole plate looks similar to before, using a combination of UA RST 2.0^TM and regular SoftSpike^TM Silver Tornado spikes.

Specifications

Breathable, Clarino® microfiber upper & a lightweight waterproof membrane keep you cool & dry UA HOVR™ placement supports natural motion of the foot & provides energy return to help eliminate impact