There is a lot of cool gear in the golf world that doesn’t always fit into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried: Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide Spikeless Golf Shoes
Your Thick Kick Tester
Dave Wolfe– Though I mainly talk about putters, I also have feet so wide that they can cover a manhole when required.
Width Testing the Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide spikeless Golf Shoes
It’s time to stomp the turf again as I continue my search for the truly wide golf shoes. Today, I’m channeling my inner Jordan Speith and checking out some Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide spikeless golf shoes. This is my first adventure into the Under Armour shoe world. I’ve worn other UA gear for years but never their shoes.
What was it about the Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide spikeless golf shoes that caught my eye? That little word WIDE, of course. If a company is going to offer wide golf shoes, then I am going to slap them to see if they are in fact wide.
Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide Spikeless Golf Shoes: Key Features
- Microfiber upper and lightweight waterproof membrane
- Molded heel
- Molded EVA footbed
- UA Rotational Resistance outsole
- TPU spikeless outsole
- One-year waterproof warranty
- Product colors: White-Multi, White-White, Black
- MSRP: $140
Houston, We May Have a Problem
Like I said, these HOVR Drive Wides were my first pair of Under Armour golf shoes. Opening the box, I was met with a good-looking and surprisingly light pair of shoes. Yes, they did have laces and not BOA closure but the blue-and-gray color scheme was so sharp that I didn’t mind.
When I tried to put them on, my excitement turned to concern. The shoes were tight.
So far, this season’s batch of wide shoes have proven to be plenty wide. So universally wide that I forgot that I usually struggle to find shoes with sufficient width.
These shoes felt narrow and tight. I was not quite sure what I was going to do. Should I just box them up and return them to Under Armour? Before doing that, I had one other option.
Under Armour HOVR Drive – Gardening Shoes?
What should you do if your golf shoes feel too tight for golf? Use them for gardening, of course. OK, so it was more tree trimming than gardening. Regardless, I decided to see if the shoes would stretch during an extended pruning session.
They were tight going on but stretched considerably during the yard work. I don’t really know why I thought this would be a good way to break them in. Call it random inspiration. All I knew was that, based upon the initial fit, I was not going to take these to the course.
After wearing them for a few hours of non-golf activity, I changed my mind. The shoes stretched a bit and I felt confident enough to take the UA HOVR Drives to the course.
Lacing Spacing and Upper Overhang
Lacing spacing was well within my acceptable range. The lacing system at the bottom of the laced area is on a solid part of the shoe so a gap is not possible. The fit was tight to begin with but, as the shoe stretched, the laces did an excellent job of really securing the shoe.
Yard work proved to be the killer activity for comfort. Afterwards, the fit was very comfortable. I could feel how the material had expanded. What could not expand, though, was the base of the shoe.
My foot now fits comfortably in the shoe but the upper hangs way over the edges of the base. The shoe felt comfortable but I had concerns about how the muffin topping would affect my golf swing.
On The Course
The Under Armour HOVR Drive Wide golf shoes proved to be excellent performers on the turf. They are very comfortable walking the course. Eighteen holes walking produced no pain, no problems.
I did not experience any excessive weight shift issues, either. This was my main concern with part of the mass of my foot hanging out beyond the base of the shoe. My fears were (wait for it) not supported by my experiences.
The Under Armour HOVR Wide spikeless golf shoes provided a stable base for my swing. In both directions even. My weight didn’t overshift to the left or the right. No more than I usually do normally, that is.
Under Armour HOVR Wide Spikeless Golf Shoes: The Takeaway
The Under Armour HOVR Wide spikeless golf shoes took me for quite an emotional ride during my testing. At first, I was certain they were too narrow. I thought for sure I was going to need to return them.
Then I wore them for some yard maintenance and they stretched out significantly. I’ve worn these for multiple rounds and I would say they are one of the more comfortable golf shoes that I have tried this year.
I’d definitely recommend you try these out if you have wide feet but don’t be surprised if they feel a little tight when new. If they are pinching significantly, don’t grab them. If they are just a bit tight, though, maybe take them out back and wear them while you make a topiary hedgehog. The fit will improve and so will your backyard aesthetic.
My only lingering concern is if the amount of overhang will put excessive pressure on the seams, perhaps causing early separation from the sole. The shoes feel very well put together but I will report back should any structural failures occur.
Find out more about the Under Armour HOVR Wide Spikeless wide golf shoes at: UnderArmour.com
Mike B
1 year ago
I have wide feet and would not waste my money on these shoes. As noted above, the overhang means that these aren’t really wide shoes, but rather shoes on which UA has installed a wider upper over a medium or non-wide footbed and sole. I’m wondering if these are even wide shoes at all, or if they’re non-wide shoes where UA discovered the material stretched a lot. In a bit of marketing inspiration, UA may have decided to label them “wide” rather than have people with medium width feet order them and then complain when the shoes stretched.
Nope, I’ll stick with wide shoes that are actually wide shoes. Footjoy does a fine job providing wide shoes that fit me well.