Nike. adidas. Puma. Nike. adidas. Puma. Sometimes it does seem like there’s not much of a choice really when it comes to the leading football boots. But when you have New Balance producing the likes of Furon and Tekela, and Skechers bannering the SKX-01 and Razor, things can get pretty much exciting!
And excited I am to try out and review another alternative to the Big 3 silos, which is the Under Armour Shadow Elite 4. I know, I know. Under Armour has been a hit or a miss with football boots. And with the departure of their biggest (and perhaps sole) superstar in Trent Alexander-Arnold, things look rather bleak. But hey, I don’t think it hurts to test out their latest silo and see if it can generate some buzz behind the Under Armour brand again.
Boot Composition
So first things first, let’s see the tech and features that comprise the Under Armour Shadow Elite 4. What we have is a synthetic Micro Warp upper that is comprised of a mesh base with a plastic overlay and a liner backing with core cuts. It not only brings back memories of older speed boots, but also tries to compete with current ones that are not knit-based. We see then that Micro Warp contains 3D Haptic micro texture to give it some touch element. Completing the upper build is the engineered knit that forms the low-cut collar and integrated tongue to form a one-piece upper construction.
Internally you get the UA HOVR+ Cushioning for the insole, an internal heel cup and a foam heel padding. And when you flip the boot check under the hood, UA brings us a woven Mach-Drive tuned carbon fiber plate that is then populated by a chevron stud configuration. I believe the most exciting part of the Shadow Elite 4 is the soleplate, actually. We’ve been clamouring for Nike to bring back carbon fibre outsoles, so I think Under Armour scored plus points by joining the Puma Ultra Carbon in addressing that demand.
Micro Warp Upper
I can say that Micro Warp is geared towards that classic speed boot vibe. What I mean by that is that the material has a high tensile strength that will make you feel locked in and secure even at the most extreme of lateral movements and top-speed acceleration. Not saying you could wear this without laces, but just putting them on already gives you immediate confidence that your feet is going nowhere. Harmonising with that locked-in feel is the fact that the upper has been made thin to get that second-skin sensation when you wear the boot. As such, you should expect that some comfort levels have been sacrificed and that you’ll have to break the boots in just to get some amount of pliability.
It’s also good that there is some amount of weatherisation attribute through the 3D Haptic microtexture. It’s intended to optimise touch even in wet conditions. And there’s plenty of it, though it does transition to zero texture rather quickly once you go past the forefoot. Still, with that amount of texturing, you can get a bit of hint of that feedback to know where the boot is relative to your foot. I also like to share that because of how thin the upper is, it goes without saying that ball feel is very direct, raw and pingy.
Carbon Fibre Soleplate and Internal Construction
UA might have scored points on nostalgia by bringing back carbon fibre as a soleplate material, but it will only be a hit if it performs well. And perform well it does! It ticks all the boxes of my checklist for great soleplate attributes. Stable yet torsionally movable? Check. Functional forefoot flex? Check. Responsive snapback? Check! But I do need to caution. Just like how the upper sacrifices comfort, so does the outsole in the name of springiness and energy-return.
It only takes one glance for one to be certain that the chevrons would slice through the natural firm ground with ease. And with good surface depth, the carbon fibre helps prevent any stud pressure from piercing up every now and then. You can forget about testing this on artificial pitches. Better be safe and get AG boots or boots with short conicals at least for synthetic playing surfaces.
Fit and Feel
As for the shape of Shadow Elite 4, it’s what you would expect a speed boot DNA would be like. It’s sleek and has that anatomical wrap around your feet. Add in the fact that it also has a low, pointy toe box, and you have a boot that is really directed towards narrow-feet players. Expect that because of that tapered toe profile, there would be a bit of extra toe space but not enough to divert you away from going true-to-size. If it has not been made obvious yet, the lockdown and responsiveness is one of the best in the business, and one thing that contributes to that is the heel grab from the foam liner and internal counter. Do watch out as some think that the amount of foam and the sturdiness of the counter might be a bit excessive and could cause some pressure point.
I don’t think any of today’s boots are heavy in the strictest sense, but weighing at 213 grams at a size 9.5 US, it certainly one of those that weighs up the most especially when compared to current speed boots. Nonetheless, it’s still a lightweight boot that is easy on the feet. I like how there is a bit more insole cushioning in the Shadow that gives it at least some comfort aspect.
Final Thoughts
Personally, I view the UA Shadow Elite 4 as a solid speed boot option in general. A lot of the mainstream options either use pliable materials or slightly widened last to accommodate more foot shapes. This boot has a particular, targeted audience, which are those that are 100% in favour of pure lockdown, responsiveness and second-skin fit (just like how it was before when you think of a speed boot).
