Under Armour Shadow Elite 2.0
The Under Armour Shadow Elite 2.0 combines a familiar outsole with a brand-new upper and lacing system. In this article, we’ll cover the pros and cons of the newly updated agility cleats to help you decide if they’re a good fit for you!
Upper
Under Armour has designed a new Intelliknit upper for the Shadow Elite 2.0 which is fairly unique and honestly feels great. They have a comfortable knit collar and tongue and then a fairly rigid Flyknit-like material extending down the sides. As you move towards the midfoot, the Exo-mesh layer becomes even more rigid, really locking the foot down. The toe box is much softer and more pliable than expected, and there’s a good amount of texture here that helps with ball control.
They also feature a brand new lacing system, which includes five rubber “strike pods” around the laces that help prevent the laces from loosening during play and minimize stretch in the knit tongue. These pods are quite grippy and designed to enhance dribbling, passing, and shooting.
The midfoot is quite snug, so I recommend breaking them in over a few sessions before wearing them for matches.
Fit
The fit of the Shadow Elite 2.0 is notably different from the first version. I initially ordered my usual size 8.5 (which fit perfectly in the earlier model), but the toe box felt way too tall and spacious in this version. I ended up going down half a size to 8, which provided a much better fit.
The midfoot area is a bit snug at first, but I’m hoping it will loosen up over time. If you have wide feet or prefer more volume in the toe box, I suggest sticking with your true size.
Outsole
The carbon fiber soleplate remains mostly unchanged from the previous model, but they have added one additional stud in the middle.
This stud pattern is ideal for firm ground and despite being bladed, the front studs are fairly short and feel okay on artificial grass. Although these probably wouldn’t be my first choice on AG. Hopefully Under Armour will come out with an AG-specific model in the future!
Weight
My cleats weigh approximately 7.8 ounces, which is not heavy by any means, but they are certainly not the lightest cleats on the market either.
Future Changes
Under Armour has made solid changes with the upper overall. They do feel like they will be pretty durable, we’ll see how they hold up with regular wear. Juggling, shooting, and dribbling all feel very responsive.
What I would like to see in the next update:
A more traditional soleplate design might offer more comfort and versatility.
An AG-specific version would be a welcome addition.
Refining the fit could help improve comfort, especially for players with wider feet. I think the toe box could be slimmed down a bit and the midfoot could be made a bit wider to accommodate more foot shapes.