Review: Under Armour Drive Pro golf shoes

Under Armour Drive Pro review

We are all trying to be more consistent on the golf course. We are all trying to find more fairways and get a bit more distance. So what’s the first thing we change?   

We rarely think twice about splashing hundreds of pounds on a new driver, but have you ever thought about upgrading your golf shoes?    

That’s where Under Armour come in. For a long time the brand has seen golf shoes as part of your equipment setup. They have worked with biomechanics – most notably JJ Rivet – to ensure its premier shoe each year is its most technologically advanced yet.  

And that has never been truer than right now with the introduction of the Under Armour Drive Pro, a golf shoe that is biomechanically engineered and laboratory tested to provide the traction and lateral support your feet need to unlock the power of your natural swing. 

The First Look

Under Armour has always been a bit hit and miss for me in this department. The Spieth models of years gone by, while unquestionably impressive, have never particularly appealed to my personal sense of style, and I’ve always preferred the sneaker-like Hovr range that focussed on looks and comfort.

But now the brand has smashed the two together and created a Spieth-type shoe that’s packed with technology – more on that in a bit – and combined it with the aesthetic appeal and comfort of the Hovr.

And what a decision that was. The Drive Pro is an incredibly good looking golf shoe – and they are even better when you’re pulling them out of the box. The model I have is a brilliant white with a lick of dark and electric blue around the tongue, collar and sole – or “Midnight” and “Capri”, as the brand call them. There are plenty of other colour options, too, which you can see below.

There is also a spikeless model – the Drive Pro SL – which also comes in a number of colourways.

The Drive Pro spiked model. (Credit: Under Armour) |

The Drive Pro spikeless model. (Credit: Under Armour) |

The Drive Pro is designed to work with your swing. (Credit: Under Armour) |

JJ Rivet watches on as bunkered's James Tait tests the Drive Pro shoes. (Credit: Under Armour) |

UA's Jake Haley and Jordan Spieth discuss the Drive Pro. (Credit: Under Armour) |

The Drive Pro have a new S3 spike system. (Credit: Under Armour) |

The sole of the Drive Pro spiked model. (Credit: Under Armour) |

The Drive Pro spiked model. (Credit: Under Armour)

The Drive Pro spikeless model. (Credit: Under Armour)

The Drive Pro is designed to work with your swing. (Credit: Under Armour)

JJ Rivet watches on as bunkered's James Tait tests the Drive Pro shoes. (Credit: Under Armour)

UA's Jake Haley and Jordan Spieth discuss the Drive Pro. (Credit: Under Armour)

The Drive Pro have a new S3 spike system. (Credit: Under Armour)

The sole of the Drive Pro spiked model. (Credit: Under Armour)

The Tech

Where do we even start?

Along with three-time major champion Jordan Spieth and world-renowned biomechanist, Under Armour has developed what they are calling a ‘Swing Support System’ for the Drive Pro and Drive Pro SL, with the aim to deliver golfers the ultimate stability, traction, and performance.

The revolutionary three-layer system, the brand says, supports the natural motion of the foot, with biomechanically correct diagonal and lateral support for golfers to unlock the power of their swing.

The Swing Support System is made up of three key advancements, all while being lighter than other tour shoes on the market.

Starting from the ground up, smarter traction is delivered through a combination of UA’s new custom S3 Spikes and the Tour Flex Pro Spike. Developed exclusively for with Champ MacNeill Engineering, the S3 Spikes are utilised in the medial heel and lateral forefoot at the optimal angle to resist rotation in the golf swing, allowing you to harness more power.

In the midsole, UA has developed the only dual-density midsole in golf. Featuring Under Armour’s ‘Hovr Foam’ and a more supportive ‘Charged Cushioning’ where it’s needed to help guide the foot in the swing. By using softer Hovr Foam in the medial side, your foot is able to sink into the shoe when you apply your peak force and helps transition your weight more efficiently through the ball.

In the upper, UA’s ‘Swing Support Strap’ is fully connected to the S3 Spikes and integrated lacing system, providing optimised 360-degree lock-in from lateral ball to medial instep.

As for the SL model, this replicates the same innovations in the midsole and the upper but with some notable innovations in its spikeless outsole. With a traction control plate and a hybrid outsole utilising rubber and TPU, the Drive Pro SL provides ground penetration and torsional rigidity through the use of TPU, with rubber adding flexibility and friction to ensure there’s no compromise in performance by moving from a spiked to spikeless outsole.

Every spikeless traction point has been mapped to different heights and positions throughout the sole to ramp up performance further. By removing uniformity, UA has been able develop an outsole that truly performs at the same level as spiked tour shoes.

The Drive Pro series also carry a one-year waterproof warranty.

“We’re excited to kick the new year off by releasing industry-leading footwear that help golfers take their game to the next level. The Drive Pro Series is years in the making, and we’re excited to get golfers’ reactions as they test them out on the course. Utilising Under Armour’s unique technologies, such as Hovr and the Swing Support System, we were able to create a golf shoe that pushes the boundaries of performance innovation to stand out in the market.”

– Jake Haley (CEO, Golf Footwear, Under Armour)

The bunkered Verdict

You can watch the full video in the player below and on the bunkered YouTube channel, or keep scrolling to read more…

While the storms that have battered the UK for the opening weeks of 2024 mean my testing of the Drive Pro shoes has been limited to wearing them around my house – and they’re remarkably comfortable, by the way – but I was fortunate enough to visit JJ Rivet’s new Biomecaswing performance centre at Stoke Park.  

I am generally guilty of just pulling on a pair of golf shoes that look good and feel good, without thinking too much about the performance factors. JJ immediately pulled me up on it!  

I hadn’t even hit a ball yet and already he was talking to me about the importance of tying my laces, which apparently I’ve been doing wrong my whole life. He showed me how to create a loop on each side through which to pull the laces and ensure the shoe is nice and tight as well as supporting my foot. I immediately felt the difference and I couldn’t wait to get on the equipment. 

A shoe fitting not only requires TrackMan software, but a force plate. If you haven’t been on one of these before, it’s essentially a mat on which you stand and it measures the force you create through each foot during your swing.  

The details then appear on the screen alongside the TrackMan data to show you where you need to make tweaks.  

I hit a few iron shots with the new Drive Pro as well as my regular golf shoes and it was like comparing apples with oranges. 

Under Armour’s three-layer system is designed to harness the natural movement of your golf swing, including the S3 spikes which give you directional traction and prevent rotation – and that means more power through the ball – and a dual midsole which is soft on the inside and firm on the outside for more stability.  

Then we have the added support of the lockdown lacing, all of which instils added confidence just from pulling on the shoe.  

So did they work? 

I hit five shots with the Drive Pro and the dispersion was so tight you could throw a blanket over all five balls. Because it has more stability in that right foot, due to the way the insole is designed, it allows you to push off and use the ground effectively and get through the ball more easily. I find with certain shoes that are more flat, you don’t get that because if you do try to tranfer your weight you can get stuck on the back foot.

And the SL model is equally impressive. When swinging, I really like to move hard through my left side, and the Drive Pro SL allows me to push into the ground but it also lets my foot spin out a little bit, so it’s not as rooted to the spot. Being able to open up like that means I am able to get a bit more out of it, and be more aggressive.

Overall I was really impressed with the numbers. I never thought going through a shoe fitting and testing would be so important. And now I’ve got the data to back it up. Just look at these improvements:

Average carry
Current shoes: 307 yards
UA Drive Pro: 325 yards
UA Drive Pro SL: 338 yards

Average club speed
Current shoes: 130mph
UA Drive Pro: 134mph
UA Drive Pro SL: 137mph

Average ball speed
Current shoes: 192mph
UA Drive Pro: 200mph
UA Drive Pro SL: 203mph

I bet you didn’t think your shoes could genuinely help you shave shots off your round. Well now you do. If you have never been for a shoe fitting before, I cannot recommend it enough.

Keep your eyes peeled for a full video of my Biomecaswing experience on the bunkered YouTube channel.

The Details

RRP: £150 (Drive Pro); £130 (Drive Pro SL)
On-sale: February 1, 2024
Colour options: White/Capri/Midnight Navy, White/White/Metallic Gun Metal, Mod Grey/Castlerock, Black/Metallic Gun Metal (Drive Pro); White/Metallic Gun Metal, Mod Grey/Capri/Midnight Navy, Black/Titan Grey (Drive Pro SL)