Under Armour has never quite managed to shake the feeling of being the challenger brand in the running-shoe market. It is technically capable, occasionally brilliant, but rarely the first name that comes to mind when serious runners are shopping. The Velociti Distance is their latest attempt at a high-mileage long-run shoe. This one does a lot of things well. It also makes some choices that will divide opinion sharply, and that tension is really what defines the whole experience of running in it.

Pick up the Velociti Distance and the weight registers immediately. At 298 grams, it is not a light shoe by modern standards, and it doesn’t pretend to be. The stack height is 38mm of Hovr+ foam sitting beneath you before you’ve even laced up. This shoe is built to absorb distance.