Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 Review

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The Under Armour TriBase Reign 5s are finally here, and I’m really excited to try them out.

I tried the 4s and they weren’t a bad choice at all. I want to see what’s new with this shoe and whether they’re actually worthy of consideration as a top gym or Crossfit shoe.

Under Armour As A Brand – In My Eyes…

I would say that I’m quite new to Under Armour as a brand. 

Probably for most of my working out life, I’ve been mainly a Nike guy, a few Adidas shoes here and there, but definitely mainly Nike. 

When Under Armour first came out, I didn’t really take them that seriously, but as time has moved on, I’ve seen their influence grow worldwide and some of the features their shoes provide.

Now it’s gotten to the point where I actually think they’re a real competitor to Nike, they’re making shoes that look quite stylish but more importantly, actually meet the needs of the user pretty, well at least from what I’ve seen so far. 

I recently tried the Project Rock 5 by Under armour, a shoe in the same category made in collaboration with Dwayne the Rock Johnson, and I will say that shoe actually impressed me, and before that, I tried the TriBase Reign 4.

So I’m about to try the newest iteration of the TriBase Reign shoes, and I mainly want to see if these continue the pattern or go in a completely different direction. 

Let’s start with the fit

Do the Under Armour TriBase Reign 5 Fit True to Size?

To start off with, regarding the fit, these feel very much true to size. 

The toe box doesn’t feel super roomy, but at the same time, they are not a really narrow fit. If you have slightly wider feet they may be uncomfortable to you. 

I know that some shoes even when not advertised as wide fitting can still be comfortable for a wider foot, but I don’t think these fall into that category at all.

First Impressions of the TriBase Reign 5

When it comes to my first impressions of the TriBase Reign 5, holding the shoe in my hand, I would say that these really remind me of the NOBULL trainers. In terms of the simplicity in their design. 

But these TriBase have more features that I think make them stand out more.

TriBase Reign 5 Vs Tribase Reign 4

The design of the TriBase Reign 5 is very similar to the TriBase Reign 4. In fact, no detective work is needed to realize that the sole is pretty much the same as the previous model. Some may not like this, but I think if something works well, and the customers like it, then by all means keep it the same.

I really don’t like it when changes are made for no real reason and so you end up with a shoe that can sometimes not work too well. But I like the sole, rigid and solid. Not very bendy, but that’s just fine.

When it comes to the upper, you notice a few differences. There’s a different kind of material in the forefoot, it looks and feels like a kind of weave material, they’re calling this the WARP upper, I’ve never tried it before, but I look forward to seeing if it makes any difference in the shoe. 

You might notice as well, the lacing area of this shoe has a slight curve to it which makes the fit a little more comfortable as it makes it more ergonomic to the shape of a foot. This is something I would like to see more manufacturers do with their uppers because, for me, it really makes a difference in how close the shoe fits your feet. 

I have a pair of running shoes that have this sort of sideways or off-center lacing positioning and it makes a real difference to my comfort. I don’t think I’ve seen this used on a gym shoe before…

But like I said, from a distance, you need a real trained eye to see the differences in this shoe vs the previous model.

What Are the TriBase Reign 5 Like to Workout In?

I will say for my first wear, I was actually impressed by how comfortable they were to walk in.

Initially, when I pick up a shoe and I feel that the sole is as rigid as these before trying them on, I do panic a little and think that must mean that the shoe isn’t going to be useful. But it isn’t always a bad thing, rigidity is a good thing when it comes to a shoe that performs well for squats and deadlifts for example. 

Squats and Deadlifts in the TriBase Reign 5

These performed very well for squats and deadlifts.

My feet felt very close to the ground and stable. I didn’t feel unbalanced at all. The rigidity of the sole in this area played its part.
They do have a removable insole if you want to feel less cushioned and closer to the ground when you lift, but overall I enjoyed squatting and deadlifting with these. Probably more than I did with the previous model.

Running in the TriBase Reign 5

When it came to running in the TriBase Reign 5 this is where I was concerned about the rigidity. These don’t have the under armour HOVR technology that some of their running shoes have so I didn’t expect the running experience to be as good as a devoted running shoe, but I WILL say that they held their own in this respect. 

I ran about 4k in one session before I started to feel a little discomfort, but for me, that’s completely fine. They do have a feature called a Micro G foam midsole which does give you a little more cushioning too. 

I don’t run on my heels. I run more on the balls of my feet so the cushioning in the heel wasn’t really useful to me during running, they do have a slight upturn in the sole on the heel if you are someone who runs on your heels a lot though. But overall I think they perform fine for running.

If I planned to run for longer distances, maybe over 5k, I would definitely change into a pair of running shoes.

But overall I would say these performed well in the gym environment.

Conclusion – TriBase Reign 5 Review

They performed better than expected for sure. 

I think the small change to the lacing position in the upper makes quite a big difference in the way they feel to wear. It gives the shoe a feeling like its more fitted to my foot, kind of like a sock. This is a small difference that I think has a big impact. 

A shoe feeling like it’s a true foot-hugging fit can make you sometimes even forget that you’re wearing them.

I’d happily wear these for a workout that involved lots of high intensity movements however, I personally much prefer wearing them solely for weight sessions. Just because the construction of this shoe, whether intentional or not, is clearly more towards making you feel lower to the ground. Something that I appreciate more in a shoe I lift with.

The sole does a very good job of providing stability and as I mentioned, the comfort is a big improvement over the previous model.

If I wanted a shoe ONLY for high-intensity interval sessions (HIIT), I think I would go for a different shoe altogether, but if you do a little bit of everything in your workouts, this shoe is a great choice.

These shoes actually remind me of the older Nike Metcons, I’m talking maybe the 3 or the 4s. Back when they were a lot more stripped down than the newer Metcons are, and because they were little more stripped down, the shoe kinda felt closer to your foot, and closer to the ground and my movements just felt different. That’s how I feel wearing these.

So what do you think about the TriBase Reign 5, would you go for them? 

Also, what Under Armour shoes have you worn in the past?

Let me know in the comments below