Under Armour Halo Tour SL Review: A maximalist golf sneaker with serious comfort

While Under Armour has earned plenty of plaudits for the performance-oriented golf clothes it makes, the American brand has never particularly been associated with clothes at the more casual end of the sportswear spectrum.

It does, however, have a few ways of addressing this. The company had, until last year, genuine street cred tying in to its relationship with Basketball legend Stephen Curry, who in addition to his Basketball duties served as a key ambassador for Under Armour's golf wing.  

The future of that partnership is up in the air given Curry's departure from the brand, however with golf style taking on a more fashion-led aesthetic in the last couple of years, Under Armour has acknowledged it needs to make moves to endear itself with style-conscious golfers. 

Their latest shoe, the Halo Tour, is a statement of intent in this direction: a chunky, casually-styled golf sneaker with serious golfing tech hidden underneath its streetwear-inspired look. The looks, of course, are designed to be distinctive. But does it actually live up to its billing on the course? We were invited along to its launch event at Portugal's Palmares resort to put it through its paces.

Looks and features

When revealing the Halo Tour SL, Under Armour were candid in admitting that, as a far younger brand on the sporting scene compared to its rivals, it has very little real sneaker heritage to draw upon when styling its more casual apparel. Under Armour has no Adidas Gazelle or Air Jordan 1 equivalent that it can attach a more aggressive outsole to and release as a guaranteed seller.

In order to bring the Halo to life, Under Armour had to think a little more out of the box. They primarily drew inspiration from the Halo line of running shoes, with its distinctive chunky sole and prominent heel wedge, reinforcing the upper with a Stormproof microfibre construction and reworking the outsole with added conical lugs to provide traction on the tee.

The result will definitely appeal to plenty of golfers who really like that chunky sneaker look off the course, and it reminds me a lot of the maximalist running shoes of the late '90s and early 2000s, such as the Nike Air Huarache. We particularly like the all-white colourway with the gum sole we were given.

Under Armour have also brought a lot of tech over from the Halo running line and much-acclaimed Drive Pro Clone golf shoe to give it proper performance credentials out on the course. 

“We took a design language born in running and tuned it for the swing to help players remain centered through transition, manage torque, and stay connected to the ground from address through finish," says Jake Haley, Senior Manager of Golf Footwear and Apparel at Under Armour, "all while keeping a silhouette that’s clearly Under Armour.”

A leather-look Stormproof microfibre upper replaces the mesh of the runner for weather proofing. Like the Clone, the midsole is made up primarily of dual-density variants of Under Armour's HOVR foam, providing plenty of cushioning under foot along with the added stability to swing with power. 

This platform is reinforced as the outsole rubber wraps up along the side wall of the shoe somewhat for lateral stability, while the heel also has a slim TPU clip to lock you in further. 

Performance

All of the above adds up to make the Under Armour Halo Tour SL super comfortable and easy wearing. Quite simply, it feels a lot like a very sneaker, and its one that I finished my round excited to pull on again. 

By way of locking you into the ground, the Halo Tour SL does an adequate job for the everyday player. They say the best shoes are the ones you don't think about, and the Halo provided all the grip I needed when playing in dry Portuguese. It also has plenty of lateral stability, and Under Armour has done a great job balancing the HOVR midsole's combination of responsiveness and balance.

The added traction platform on the outsole is made from a fairly soft rubber, which makes the Halo Tour SL great for wearing off the course. I'd be comfortable strolling around on the street in these without worrying about wet weather, however I suspect the lack of a more aggressive traction pattern would start to show when golfing in slippery conditions, which is worth considering if you're thinking about getting a pair as your year-round gamers. 

Should you buy the Under Armour Halo Tour SL?

We have to take our hats off to Under Armour here for making such a bold move with their latest golf sneaker. They didn't try and play it safe – rather they leaned into modern design to create something entirely distinctive. For the most part, their efforts have worked.

The looks are unlike any other casual golf shoe currently available. The chunky profile, of course, won't be for everyone – particularly if you prefer the style of more retro-styled sneakers, but that's kind of the point. If you like the silhouette, the Halos will prove relatively easy to style both on and off the course, and the chunkier silhouette has also given Under Armour license to engineer the Halo with plenty of built-in comfort and stability.

All of this combines to make the new Halo Tour one of the most stable and comfortable casual golf sneakers on the market – particularly if you're after a more wearable shoe for everyday summer. As such, if you like the looks, we highly suggest taking a pair for a test drive.

Priced at £120, they're set to hit store shelves on February 20.