Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoe Review

Disclaimer: I received the Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

Up until now I have been 100% a road runner. I like having pavement under my shoes and a set path to run. With that being said, I had completed my summer marathon and was looking for a change of pace after all that training. That’s where my trail running journey began…with the help of BibRave allowing me to test the Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoes!

Having been a complete novice to trail running up until now, I had little expectations as to what to expect from a trial shoe vs a street shoe. When I was thinking about running trails (up and down hills, over bumps in the road, dealing with harsher trail conditions) I figured I would want something that had great traction, something that fit my foot well with little to no movement when I am cutting around corners, and something that isn’t too clunky on my feet.

Before we get into how these shoes stack up against my wish list from a novice trail runner, lets get into a few of the specifics of the Horizon RTT Trail Shoes (from the UA website):

  • Durable PU & textile upper for breathability & reliable protection
  • Reinforced welded synthetic in critical areas for increased durability
  • Mesh heel with dual protective welds
  • Molded collar foam package for added comfort
  • Charged Cushioning® foam puck placed under the heel for responsive comfort
  • Lightweight, full-length EVA midsole for optimal cushioning
  • High traction rubber lug outsole for dependable traction on a variety of conditions
  • Offset: 7 mm
  • Weight: 12 oz.
  • Imported

To be honest, I don’t fully understand what a lot of these specifics mean, but hopefully they are meaningful to someone in the market for a trail shoe!

My Experience:

I was able to test these shoes on a few different occasions where the terrain varied from paved path (walking my dog, and the start to each run) to grass and dirt trails. I used these in both dry and wet conditions. I even used them while working out in the gym and for a short run on the treadmill.

Now on to my feedback against my trail shoe expectations:

Expectations:

  • Great traction
  • Good fit, little movement
  • Not too clunky on my feet

Reality:

  • Traction
    • The rubber traction on these shoes is great! I had no issues going from the paved trail by my truck, to grass trails, to dirt and root covered trails. With all terrains these shoes seemed to have it covered. The one exception I would add is that I did run through a few mud slicked areas (on two different occasions) and found myself trying to stay on my feet without falling. Having no trail experience before, this very well could be what happens with all trail shoes, but thought I would point it out.
  • Fit and shoe movement
    • These shoes fit nice and snug around my feet. I assume this is the design in order to not allow water/dirt into the shoe while running. It was a nice sleek fit and I had no worries about rocks or dirt getting in over the tung of the shoe. The laces held the shoe snug around my foot. There appears to be extra room in the toe box for my feet to have the wiggle room that I really like. I used the ‘True Fit’ size calculator off of the Under Armour website and I feel I may have ordered a half size too big. The only time this felt like an issue was on my right shoe. At times it felt like the shoe was bending in half as my toes flexed through the running motion. The left shoe did not do this though…perhaps my feet aren’t the exact same size? This didn’t hinder my use of these shoes while running, but something to mention (make sure you get the right size)!!
  • Weight/Clunky factor
    • Being used to road shoes I did notice these being a bit wider and heavier than my previous shoes. I was thinking this would make my feet have that sluggish feel, but with all the turns and ups and downs of the trails themselves, the overall weight of the shoe was never on my mind. In hindsight I am not sure I would want my trail shoes to weigh the same as my road shoes as they would then be giving up a lot of support that is built into them for that side to side motion compared to straight line running like I do on the roads.

Overall I think the Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoes have provided me with a great introduction into trail running and have done nothing to discourage me from continued use of them heading into the fall. The scenery and quietness of trail running is something you just don’t get on paved trails. It has me questioning why I haven’t gotten into it before?!?!

If you are looking for feedback from others testing these shoes (potentially who have had trail experience in the past with other trail shoes) then look to my fellow BibRave Pros to get their thoughts (Fallon, Lindsey, Tedrick, Mel, Vanessa, Angie, Frank).

Don’t forget to give Under Armour a follow on social media to see what else they are coming out with:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/UARunning
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uarunning/