Could we eventually dispense with the heart rate monitor or activity meter in the future? The new Under Armour Hovr Infinite has already taken a step in that direction. Right now, leaving this gadget at home is not possible if you want a reliable measurement of your heart rate. However, apart from this detail, the cell phone already gives tracking data with the same accuracy or better than the most prestigious brands of heart rate monitors. But, can you imagine not having to wear anything to run, no phone or anything on your wrist?
On February 4, Runnea had the opportunity to attend the worldwide presentation of these Under Armour Hovr Infinite in Munich. While this is not the first model that incorporates some detail of connectivity, it is the first to do so in a serious way. For example, some examples of the Adidas Ultra Boost Parley provide information on the date of manufacture and the number of recycled bottles used in their construction. For their part, the Altra Torin IQ promised to provide data on stride, cadence and impact zone, albeit at very high prices. Or at the opposite end of the price spectrum, the Xiaomi running shoes, of which we do not have much news beyond their launch. But beyond these laudable attempts the Under Armour Hovr Infinite are the ones that have clearly taken the technological lead in a market that is expected to be exciting.
You might be interested in: Under Armour Hovr Infinite in-depth review.
The company Under Armour is a giant in the textile world and has quite an impact in some sports such as basketball or training. However, in running it is not the first brand that comes to mind for Spanish runners. That's why this move to a more "tech" positioning seems to us to be very successful. Right now this model already offers us some interesting data that are useful in our day to day. The best, without a doubt, is to know how many kilometers you have done with the shoes. How many times have we calculated this data "by eye" .... Well, now we have it and 100% reliable. Because this system not only tells us the kilometers we do running with the connected app but we can also take our Under Armour Hovr Infinite for a walk and it will also add those kilometers when we synchronize the devices when we get home. And without the need to carry your phone with you.
Topher Gaylord, General Manager of UA and Ben McAllister, Director of MapMyRun, explained to us in Munich that one of the biggest challenges has been to implement the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) chip and that this system works without the need for connection to the app. And most interestingly of all, without the need to recharge? EVER. It may seem easy, but the technological challenge is enormous.
Know your stride frequency
Right now the functionalities provided by the sensor integrated in the right shoe are "limited" to tell us the kilometers done with the shoe and also give us the stride length, a very interesting data for all of us who want to improve our efficiency and running technique in training and competitions. To know the rest of the interesting data of our workouts (race tracking, pace, etc...) we have to have the MapMyRun app connected. That is, we still can not do without our mobile and / or heart rate monitor but the first step is already taken and the incorporation of more data based on what our shoes record is a very interesting technological advance and we will follow in detail in Runnea.
In case you do not know MapMyRun is an excellent application in terms of race tracking and to know the most interesting data of your workouts and runs. Its functionality is excellent at the level of others like Runtastic or Strava. But its shortcoming is the same as all these super apps, they do not provide personalized training plans even though they promise them. In that sense we recommend that you bet on Runnea Academy.
Top-of-the-line shoe
In addition, Under Armour s strategy is being very aggressive. They have incorporated this new facet in a top-of-the-range shoe at a very reasonable price, without burdening the consumer's pocket with this technical development effort. They are aware that they have to penetrate with strength but with head in the market and for this they have placed the starting price of these Hovr Infinite at 140 € although you can already find them at a better price in our shoe price comparator. But they not only compete on price but they have incorporated many advances that Iker Muñoz has already described in detail in the review we published.
One of the most outstanding details resides in the Hovr technology which is the emblem of the brand this year in terms of cushioning. All the big brands are competing to establish the name of their cushioning system as a reference in the market. Adidas with its Boost, Nike with Zoom/React, New Balance with Fresh Foam, etc....
In this sense Under Armour has achieved a very comfortable and super cushioned shoe looking for the most general public profile. But as Topher Gaylord pointed out, what they are looking for is the "perfect balance between cushioning and reactivity" necessary for the runner to feel comfortable, cushioned but at the same time reactive to give the best performance in the race.
For the moment, as we mentioned in the headline, Under Armour has undoubtedly taken the lead in terms of connectivity with a model on a par with the best top-of-the-line shoes on the market. We'll have to see how the technology evolves and if the American firm ends up making the commercial bet that will pay off in Spain.
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