Under Armour is a globally renowned and established brand that in recent years has seemed to withdraw every so slightly from the football boot market.
With the recent release of the Shadow Elite 2.0 and signing on of young upcoming stars of the game such as Fermin Lopez, the brand appears to be making a renewed effort to make a real dent in a market that is increasingly featuring more and more players offering high quality options.
Alongside the Shadow Elite is Under Armour’s other elite boot, the Clone Magnetico Elite 3.0, and I tried a pair of these to ascertain whether they are a step in the right direction towards the brand’s aims in the market.
Under Armour Clone Magnetico 3.0 review
The Clone Magnetico is the Under Armour silo that was worn perhaps most famously by Liverpool and England star Trent Alexander-Arnold before he made his well-publicised switch to Adidas to wear the new Predator model.
With the leather imitating synthetic material that makes up the upper being stitched into something of a quilted pattern, the Under Armour Clone Magnetico 3.0 is aesthetically the most unique-looking boot on the market.
Using Under Armour's clone technology, which the brand says allows it to adapt to the movements of your foot, the upper is certainly comfortable, with the synthetic very soft out of the box. The synthetic material only covers a little over half of the boot before transitioning into a much more rigid material around the heel, though, meaning break-in time is slightly longer further back in the boot.
The haptic print between the clone waves (raised parts of the upper) is geared towards extra grip, and this can be felt subtly when dribbling with the Under Armour Clone Magnetico 3.0. It is certainly not as dramatic a grip as provided by the upper of something like the Nike Phantom GX, or with the striking elements on the Predator 24, but it provides a nice extra feeling on the ball.
I found the upper does an OK job of imitating leather, while it provides a padded feel on the ball and extra protection in addition to the grip that comes with the haptic print. This would work well for defenders.
Where the Clone Magnetico falls down, however, is that the heel is too rigid for my liking and doesn't allow for much in the way of manoeuvring for different foot types - not great for wide feet. The hardness of the material in the heel can definitely be felt against your feet, which isn't a particularly comfortable sensation.
I wore the FG version of the Under Armour Clone Magnetico 3.0 on both artificial ground and natural grass. The soleplate features predominantly conical studs so is passable on AG, though not a specialist option for these types of surfaces.
Half of the studs feature a slightly bladed extension to provide extra traction that is especially advantageous when worn on grass, making it a good outsole offering a nice level of support. Conical studs also make rotating easier and more comfortable underfoot, too.
I wore these true to size and would recommend this for the best fit, though the boot has quite a low toe box which created a bit of extra pressure at the front of the boot with my toe against the upper itself. Again, this was not significantly uncomfortable for me, but for those with different foot types this could pose more of a problem. Therefore, I'd definitely urge anyone contemplating these to try them on first before committing to buying them.
Overall, the Under Armour Clone Magnetico 3.0 is a boot that captures well the brand’s tendency to do things slightly differently to competitors on the market. The level of contrast between the uniquely soft and adaptive material that makes up most of the upper and the solidity of the heel is something that is unlike any of the best boots available on the market.
This is a pair that is worth trying for anyone looking for something a little different, but as far as UA’s redoubled efforts in this space, the Clone Magnetico may not be quite enough to move the needle - personally, I believe the Shadow Elite 2.0 will do more in that regard.
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