If you play sports, go to a gym, or see people being active, then you
have probably seen Under Armour
gear. It is an American sports clothing
and accessories company. They have also
branched out into casual apparel as well.
Under Armour was
founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, who at the time was a 23-year-old former
special teams captain on the University of Maryland’s football team. Plank started his business in the basement of
his Grandmothers Washington D.C home. In
the beginning, he traveled up and down the Eastern United States with a bunch
of apparel in the trunk of his car. He
got his first team sale (of $17,000) at the end of 1996. (1)
So if this is an American company, why did he chose to use the English
spelling of Armour? Simply because
Armour was still available for the toll-free telephone number. In 2006, Under Armour started selling
footwear. After 20 years in business,
they have grown to become one of the largest sports clothing companies in the
world and expect to have revenues in 2016 just short of $5 Billion. (1)
I have been trying for a while to test out Under Armour
products and it finally happened. They
sent me their new Gemini
2 Record Equipped.
There are many facets to this shoe so I will break it down by looking at
the shoe itself and then the technology that they built into the shoe.
The Gemini
2 Record Equipped has a plush Charged
Cushioning that absorbs some of the impact and
provides a responsive ride. I would
classify this as a medium cushioned shoe.
The upper material uses Under Armour’s
SpeedForm
upper material and it not only provides a great fit, but it has perforations
that do a decent job of keeping your feet cool and dry. The upper molds to your foot to provide an
almost glove-like fit without compressing your toes too much, which is an issue
I have had with some other shoes.
Under Armour
uses ultrasonic welded seams to eliminate irritation and they have a
moisture-wicking sockliner that is built right into the midsole. The insole is underneath a layer of fabric
and there are no gaps between the insole and the shoe, which is something I
have never seen in a running shoe. I
have to say that I really liked it.
There is a soft, supportive ArchForm insert that is built into the shoe under
the arch and heel to make the shoe more comfortable.
The outsold is made of blown rubber with carbon rubber in
the heel, which is light-weight and extremely durable. I have put about 30 miles on these shoes and
the outsoles look brand new. It also had
plenty of grip for running in wet conditions.
There are anatomically placed flex groves that allow a smooth transition
from heel or midstrike to toe-off. It
allows your foot to flex and really allows for a stable ride.
The Gemini
2 Record Equipped has an 8mm heel drop and weighs in at
10.4 ounces, although it felt lighter than that to me. I was extremely impressed with the way that
the Gemini
2 fit and felt on my runs.
I really like shoes that allow my feet to flex as opposed to
non-flexible shoes. I think that the
upper and outsole material are extremely durable and the manufacturing of the
shoe will allow for a long lifespan (which Under Armour
says should be 400 miles).
So now on to part 2 of the review. While the shoe itself is great, the Gemini
2 Record Equipped has more to offer. The Record Equipped part of the name
references the fact that the shoe is more technologically advanced than your
average shoe. There is a sensor under
the insole that tracks, analyzes, and stores your workout data. While I have read about this technology, I hadn’t
tested it, until now.
The Gemini
2 Record Equipped records time, cadence, duration of
your workout, splits, and connects to MapMyRun
(which is owned by Under
Armour) to capture GPS information and
deliver reliable and accurate data. I
tested the stats against my Garmin Forerunner 620 and the stats matched up
fairly well, as far as accuracy. There
were a few discrepancies, but that was mainly due to when I started and paused
the MapMyRun
app. While it isn’t quite as accurate as
an expensive GPS watch, the MapMyRun
app does a very good job. The battery in
the shoe is optimized to last longer than the shoes will, so you will never
have to changing a battery or the battery going dead in the middle of a run.
With your purchase, you also get a 1 year upgrade to MapMyRun MVP, which includes live tracking,
mobile coaching, cadence analysis, power analysis, training plans, and much
more. This would normally cost $29.99
per year or $5.99 if you pay on a monthly basis. I was really impressed with all of the
features that MapMyRun MVP (click the
link to see all of the included features) has.
Another really cool feature is that you can run without your
phone. The sensor in your shoe
automatically captures data and stores up to 5 workouts. That way you can leave your phone at
home. You will have limited data since
you won’t be using GPS from your phone, but you will get the workout duration
and cadence.
I also like that since you are using the MapMyRun
app where you can track your gear, it will automatically tell you when it is
time to replace your shoes, based on a lifespan of 400 miles. Garmin Connect also allows you to track gear
and I absolutely love this feature. The Gemini
2 Record Equipped automatically adds it to your run when
it is connected to MapMyRun
so you don’t have to do it manually.
So what are my overall thoughts on the Gemini
2 Record Equipped?
Using it for running without taking the “record” feature into account, I
would give it 4 out of 5 stars. It is a
great shoe that is extremely comfortable and easy to run in. The price is $149.99 on the Under
Armour website but I have seen it as low as
$129.99. I think either price is good
for what you get out of the shoe.
Now the “record” feature.
I really like the feature and the fact that Under Armour
is syncing it to MapMyRun. This is great for people who don’t have a
Garmin or other GPS running watch.
Knowing your cadence is really important, especially if you are
interested in improving your running.
The fact that you get the 1-year upgrade to MapMyRun MVP makes it even better. If you have a Garmin 220 or higher (or
equivalent) watch, the Gemini
2 Record Equipped really is just duplicating information
that your watch is gathering. I probably
wouldn’t use the “record” feature because my Garmin Forerunner 620 is a little
more accurate and provides more detailed information.
Taking everything into consideration, this is an awesome
shoe and well worth the money. If you
aren’t interested in the “record” feature, you can get the SpeedForm
Gemini 2 for $129.99 from the Under
Armour website, which is a great deal.
Pros:
Very comfortable
Almost glove-like fit
Blown Rubber outsole should last for a long time
Records duration, cadence, splits, and more
Syncs directly with MapMyRun
1-Year of MapMyRun MVP
included
You can get data about your run without your phone
Great price $149.99 (or less)
Cons:
The “record” feature might not be useful to everyone
Under Armour’s Social Media Links:
I am extremely impressed with the Gemini
2 Record Equipped.
It is a great shoe with tons of features. It offers a great fit, and a very stable ride
while the SpeedForm
upper allows your feet to remain cool and dry.
The $149.99 price tag is more than reasonable and I would definitely
recommend this shoe to newer runners, especially if they don’t have a GPS
running watch. You can purchase yours at
the Under
Armour Website or at a local retailer near you (click here for
locations).
I was wasn’t sure what to expect out of Under Armour
shoes, but they have proven to me that they can produce a top quality running shoe. I am sure you would agree if you give them a
chance. Try a pair of Under Armour
shoes and let me know what you think.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
References:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_Armour#Present_day_-_major_expansion_in_other_sports
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