Posted on August 05 2015
We’re getting to the best part of the college basketball season. Rivalries are heating up in conference play, and before you know it, March will be here and the NCAA tournament with it.
Everyone knows that basketball shoes are important, and real fans probably know the exact shoes worn by their favorite players. Have you ever wondered what it is about those shoes that make a person jump higher, run faster, and juke quicker?
We want to take a closer look at the type of technology that makes these shoes special and helps athletes perform at the top level. To do this, let’s consider one of our featured brands: Under Armour.
Charged Cushioning in UA Shoes Gives Athletes a Boost
Energy can’t be created or destroyed. It can only be redirected.
A majority of athletic shoes use ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam as cushioning in their midsoles. Basketball shoes likes Under Armour’s Lockdown or Jet do as well, but Under Armour uses special compression molding to shape the foam in a way that provides optimal support to the wearer’s foot.
Charged Cushioning adds an extra layer on top of that that does more than support—it responds. Energy is absorbed every time a player takes a step, changes direction, bends their knees. Then that energy is returned to the next motion allowing for a faster dash, a quicker pivot, a higher jump. This technology takes shoes and players to the next level.
Micro G® Ups the Advantage of ClutchFit®
The upper portion of a basketball shoe has to hold the player’s foot in place. Otherwise all the energy and cushioning they get from the midsole is wasted.
Under Armour’s solution was ClutchFit®, technology designed to give the wearer’s foot a “second skin.” Now, as a further augmentation comes Micro G®, an advanced sock-liner made of lightweight, breathable foam.
Micro G® has similar properties to Charged Cushioning, able to redirect energy through the soles of the shoes, but it’s primary advantage is comfort. Your feet need to feel great if you want to play your best, and Under Armour shoes deliver.
Multi-Directional Outsole Gives Players Control
Basketball is a unique sport because of how important it is to be able to move in any direction in an instant. Driving to the basket might require forward momentum, but in all other situations, a player has to be able to move side to side, backwards, and at an angle, all without even thinking. It has to be a reflex, and your shoes better keep up.
For this reason, Under Armour molds the outsoles of their basketball shoes with multi-directional grip, for precise motion in any direction. You’ll be able to take over the court, leaving your opponents in the dust.
Shop Under Armour at SRI Shoe Warehouse
Could you keep up with your favorite player on the court? It would help if you were wearing some Under Armour basketball shoes of your own.
SRI Shoe Warehouse stocks Under Armour shoes for men and kids, and we have a wider selection from this brand for women, too.
We welcome you to browse our catalog online or visit one of our locations to try some on. Our staff will be on hand to help you find a proper fit. We hope to see you soon.