Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: workout shoes don't get much better than this

Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review TL;DR: the TriBase Reign 2 is not a workout shoe, it's a workhorse. The shoes are comfortable, flexible and supportive, albeit a bit bland-looking, at least the colour versions available in the UK.

Under Armour is perceived in an odd way in the UK. On one hand, the brand is somewhat more known for its cheaper products which I guess helps brand recognition as more affordable products will reach a wider audience.

But Under Armour is also an innovative company that manufactures some truly top-tier products, such as the UA HOVR Machina running shoes, one of the best running shoes that’s actually available to buy, and the Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 workout shoes, the subject of this review.

The TriBase Reign 2 is a workout shoe, and a good one at that. It has reams of excellent features that will make it appeal to both CrossFitters and regular gym folks alike. What are these features? Let’s discover.

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Under Armour TriBase Reign 2: price and availability

The Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 is available now for a recommended retail price of £105 / $120. The shoes come in a variety of colourways and these might differ from one country to another. The Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 can be purchased directly from Under Armour US / Under Armour UK and selected third party retailers such as SportsShoes.com. It's worth browsing our Under Armour discount codes to check out money-saving options. 

The main features of the Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 include durable mesh upper made of tough ripstop material, TriBase technology for improved traction, external heel counter for added stability at the rear, responsive Micro G foam midsole, and ‘low to ground’ construction for better stability.

Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: Design and ergonomics

The Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 is a comfortable workout shoe. The upper is  durable and made of tough ripstop material, but it’s also comfortable and spacious, especially in the toebox area. Having wide feet, I’m prone to suffer from narrow shoe design but I didn’t have any issue wearing the TriBase Reign 2.

At the rear of the shoes, the external heel counter and close-fitting collar provides a lot of stability. This area feels supportive but not restrictive: the padding around the ankles is subtle but effective. The Micro G foam midsole does a good job in reducing impact force and the TriBase tech on the outsole provides all the traction in the world too. The shoes are even flexible, ready for twist and turns you might have to do in them.

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Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: Aesthetics 

The Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 is like a workhorse. It will get the job done beautifully but no one will have a second look at it. In the UK, it comes in three uninspiring colourways of which two are ‘black’ and ‘slightly less black’, And it’s not even the exciting kind of black but more like the boring variety. However, in the US, you get to choose from some exciting colours at least that lend a bit of personality to the shoes. No idea why the good people of the UK ended up with the drab colours. 

Because there are no highlights whatsoever, the black version of TriBase Reign 2 (the one that was tested) reminds me of tennis or squash shoes, but maybe a bit more hardcore than those. You can definitely tell it’s for indoor training but nothing really helps you identify the sport. Good for people who want shoes to work out in and don’t much care about looking fancy in the gym.

Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: Working out in the Under Armour TriBase Reign 2

I was genuinely surprised how agile the Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 is. It looks a bit chunky – definitely chunkier than the Nike Metcon 6 – but moving around in the shoes is effortless. This is probably thanks to the combination of the sock like upper, the responsive foam and the grippy outsole.

Wearing the TriBase Reign 2, you won’t slip doing box jumps or barbell snatches. You also don’t have to worry about your feet slipping when doing planks or mountain climbers in the TriBase Reign 2 either. The shoes are flexible which will come in handy in a variety of workout situations (not when doing bench press, though). Given the spacious toebox, even if your feet get hot, there will be plenty of space to expand into.

There is only one downside of the upper: it takes a bit more effort to get in and out of the shoes. While other workout shoes might be easy to jump into and get out of, the same maneuver with the TriBase Reign 2 will require undoing the laces and using both hands to put on/remove the shoes. A small price to pay for enhanced comfort while wearing them.

Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: verdict 

The Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 truly reigns over its competition. It’s comfortable to wear, provides plenty of traction and gets the job done pretty much perfectly. I wish the shoes had a little bit more personality to them but it’s also true that not everyone needs flashy shoes for their workouts. Not to mention, this issue seems to be localised too (in the UK).

Being the perfect workhorse it is, the TriBase Reign 2 will support you during workouts without ever taking centre stage. Let people admire your performance in the shoes, not the shoes themselves. And you will be able to perform well in the Under Armour TriBase Reign 2, that’s for sure.

Under Armour TriBase Reign 2 review: Also consider 

The Nike Metcon series is one of the most popular workout shoe franchises, but its latest iteration, the Nike Metcon 6, can only be considered a small update from the otherwise brilliant Metcon 5. The main difference between the Metcon 5 and the Metcon 6 is the upper being imperceptibly more breathable, otherwise they are practically the same. Still a good buy if you find one for less than the RRP.

Reebok is not only the sponsor of the CrossFit games, the American company is also a proactive manufacturer of CrossFit related workout apparel and shoes. The Reebok Nano X is the latest iteration of the Nano series (the 10th) and by now, these shoes are super-refined and tailored to the needs of CrossFit athletes. Better still, you can customise them by adding a max. 9-letter word on each shoe.