The Under Armour Curry 7 will see its wide release to the public on Nov. 1, while fans in The Bay can get an early pair of a limited run of the UNDRTD colorway starting on Oct. 24 at the Chase Center Warriors Shop ahead of Golden State’s season opener against the Clippers.
Every new hoops sneaker has updates and tweaks made to the design and, sometimes, the technology that goes into the shoe, but the Curry 7 underwent some pretty dramatic changes from the Curry 6. Basically the entire shoe changed from upper contruction to midsole tech to the outsole and traction pattern.
The first thing you notice when you set the Curry 7 next to the Curry 6 is the difference in the outsole, where Under Armour beefed up the traction pattern to provide better grip on the court — a significant departure from the much thinner outsole layer from a year ago.
The midsole sees the biggest tech upgrade, as they combined their Micro G cushioning with HOVR foam for the first time in a hoops shoe. Micro G is the base layer of cushioning, running throughout the sneaker, while the bouncier HOVR foam runs from the midfoot through the heel, with the two separated by a flexible plate meant to increase stability.
The upper also saw a big change as it goes away from the full-knit, bootie construction and is instead a layered upper of synthetic leather and mesh, with the hope that the various layers would provide more stability. Designer Leon Gu said this was the first time they designed Steph’s sneaker from the inside out and that led them to getting rid of the full-knit upper, going with the more functional layered approach.
The functional changes to the sneaker aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as the Curry 6. It’s a perfectly fine looking basketball sneaker, just not one that will turn heads. Having gotten the chance to test the Curry 7, the on-court performance upgrade from the Curry 6 is undeniable, delivering on the promise of better traction, comfort, and stability. The high arch from the Curry 6 is gone, the midsole isn’t as stiff and is far more comfortable, and the outsole delivers much improved traction.
It’s not the best looking sneaker on the market, but it’s without a doubt the best performing of the recent Curry line, which was the goal from the outset.
