I personally test every product featured on That Fit Friend using a regimen of training tests that I’ve developed over years of testing training gear. I buy the gear I test and may earn commissions on sales made through links on my site.
I feel like I can speak for most lifters and strength athletes when I say, “Under Armour, it’s about time you built a weightlifting shoe”. After years of producing training shoes, the Reign Lifter is Under Armour’s first official weightlifting shoe.
As a fan of Under Armour training shoes like the TriBase Reign 5, I was super excited to buy a Reign Lifter and start putting them to the test. In all of my tests, the UA Reign Lifter has held its own for heavier squats and clean & jerks.
It actually took a minute for this model to grow on me, but once it did, I came to appreciate them a little bit more and I’ll elaborate on this below. In fact, the UA Reign Lifter is slowly clawing its way into my best weightlifting shoe round-up.
In my UA Reign Lifter, I’ll cover all of the pros, cons, performance, and sizing of this shoe so you can know exactly what you’re getting before investing in them.
Author’s Note: As of the publication date of my review, the UA Reign Lifter is still not available in the US (I bought my pair from eBay). Also, if you’re seeing different images for this model on sites, those are incorrect old 3D renders. I’ve confirmed this is the official Reign Lifter.
Who Should Invest In the UA Reign Lifter?
The UA Reign Lifter will be best for strength athletes and lifters that want a consistent weightlifting shoe for squats, snatches, and clean & jerks. The Reign Lifter has a heavier construction with a nice level of stability.
For serious athletes and lifters, I think you’ll enjoy the level of ground/platform feedback that you get from this shoe. Once they break in, I found the TPU-injected midsole to provide a nice “snappiness” when catching clean and hitting jerks.
I also like the stability that you get with this shoe’s midsole. For heavier squats and cleans, this model felt grounded and the rubber outsole provided a good level of traction on different surfaces.
If you’re new to weightlifting shoes, I could see the Reign Lifter also being a good introduction to this style of footwear. Since this shoe has a thicker upper construction, they should last a while for your investment if take good care of them.
Lastly, this model has a slightly narrower fit, so for narrow and neutral-width feet, I think this shoe will fit really well per your anatomical needs. To add to this, I think if you enjoy the UA TriBase Reign shoes and their fit, then you’ll really like the Reign Lifter’s fit.
Who Shouldn’t Invest In the UA Reign Lifter?
While I’ve enjoyed the UA Reign Lifter, there are a few a couple on contexts where I can see this model falling short. For starters, the heavier upper construction can run pretty hot at times.
This model’s upper is built with leather, textile, and synthetic materials, and without additional breathability through the forefoot and midfoot I found my feet getting pretty hot in this model. If you have issues with your feet running hot, you’ll want to consider this.
Another context in which I could see this shoe falling short is for wide feet. In my opinion, this model has a similar fit to the UA TriBase Reign cross-training shoe line which has been known for not having the most width in the toe box.
I think if you’re worried about toe box width, then you may want to pass on this model and look into wider options like the TYR L-1 Lifter. For context, I have a neutral-width foot and find the toe box a little snug for longer sessions.
UA Reign Lifter
$200
Best For
- Squats
- Weightlifting
- TriBase Reign Fans
- Narrow/Neutral-Width Feet
Falls Short
- For Breathability
- For Wider Feet
UA Reign Lifter Pros
Over the course of my training and testing of the UA Reign Lifter, I found a few pros and things to really enjoy with this model.
- Consistent Performance for Squats and Weightlifting
- TPU Heel and Midsole Are Stable and Responsive
- Heavier Upper Feels Durable and Prevents Spillover
The first thing to like about the UA Reign Lifter is their performance for squats and weightlifting. Thus far, this shoe has been consistent for all of my training sessions and I haven’t noticed anything glaringly off with their performance.
When working up to heavier cleans at 285 lbs, this shoe has felt stable and locked down, and I’ve enjoyed their stability for my heavier front squats. On top of this, the midfoot security has been pretty strong as well.
It took about a week for this shoe to break in and I was actually a little weary of their initial midfoot security, but once they broke in, the strap and lacing system felt a lot better in the context of locking down the feet when going into ankle plantarflexion and dorsiflexion.
Another thing that I’ve enjoyed with this model’s performance is its full rubber outsole. The rubber used on this shoe’s outsole feels grippy, but it’s not so tacky that I felt like I couldn’t adjust my feet during my catches or when jerking.
The second thing to like about the UA Reign Lifter, which I briefly touched on above, is its TPU midsole and heel. In my experience, this model feels responsive and provides you with a nice level of feedback when catching weight.
Stability shouldn’t be an issue in this model whatsoever and I think they’ll work for lifters and athletes from all strength backgrounds. I also like that the TPU wraps up a bit on the lateral and medial sides of the shoe to help prevent spillover.
The final aspect to like about this shoe is its heavier upper construction, which I find to be both a good and bad thing. The good with this model’s heavier upper is that it should last a while and not break down too easily.
Under Armour also mentioned that they went with this upper because it proved to be more durable than the other 3D renders that have been floating around online.
The upper on this shoe somewhat reminds me of a blend of the Reebok Legacy Lifter 3 and ANTA 2 Weightlifting Shoes. I also think this upper helps with spillover issues as it has a thicker construction to lock down the feet.
UA Reign Lifter Cons
The Reign Lifter is a pretty good first pass for Under Armour’s debut weightlifting shoe, however, there are a few cons to note about this model.
- Toe Box Runs a Bit Narrow
- Expect a Break-In Period
- Upper Construction Isn’t Breathable
The first drawback to note about the UA Reign Lifter is that it’s not the widest weightlifting shoe on the market. If you constantly feel restricted in your weightlifting shoes, then you may want to pass on this model.
In the context of this shoe’s width, it’s similar to the UA TriBase Reign 4 if we’re talking other Under Armour shoes, and if we’re talking weightlifting shoes, it’s pretty similar to the Adidas Adipower 3’s width.
The second drawback to note about the UA Reign Lifter is that similar to other weightlifting shoes, I’d expect a break-in period with this model. When initially wearing this shoe I actually didn’t like the way this shoe felt.
I think this was because the strap sits a bit lower on the midfoot so I was having my heel slip a bit in my first two sessions. However, as the toe box broke in more this issue subsided so it should be a non-issue for most in the long run, but I did want to share my experience.
The final drawback that I could see bothering others with the UA Reign Lifter is the lack of ventilation. With the leather upper in this model, I’d expect your feet to run pretty warmly in this shoe.
To be honest, I was kind of bummed when I saw the other 3D renders of this model because the ventilation looked better in that iteration. Granted, if you’re getting more durable in place of breathability, then I guess it’s a net positive for your investment.
Performance Assessment
To break down the performance of the UA Reign Lifter, I’ll cover how this performs across a few key performance categories. I’ll discuss their performance for squats, recreational lifting, and weightlifting.
Whether you’re a beginner or a weathered strength athlete, hopefully, the section below can clarify this shoe’s performance in certain verticals. If you have additional performance questions, always feel free to reach out.
Testing the UA Reign Lifter for Squats and Recreational Lifting
For squats, the UA Reign Lifter has been a really strong-performing shoe. The TPU midsole and heel are plenty stable for heavy sessions and this shoe feels balanced when squatting.
When front squatting over 315 lbs I liked how this shoe felt and I didn’t notice any rocking like some models can be prone to have, especially in instances where you lose balance and shift forward a bit as fatigue sets in.
I also liked how grippy the outsole is in this shoe and I don’t think you’ll experience slip issues at all in this model. Whether you’re squatting on wooden platforms, or rubber gym floors, or plan to buy these for powerlifting, you should be fine regarding traction.
For accessory exercises like leg presses, hack squats, and quad-biased work, the UA Reign Lifter performs well after they’ve been broken in. The outsole grips machine platforms well and the toe box gets progressively more flexible as you wear them more.
My only knock against this model for accessories is that I find them to run even warmer in these contexts because you’re typically wearing them longer for these workouts or doing higher rep sets. I’d expect sweaty feet in these training contexts.
Testing the UA Reign Lifter for Weightlifting
When it comes to weightlifting, the UA Reign Lifter has been a pretty strong shoe. Do note, I program a lot of clean & jerks into my current training blocks, I don’t snatch heavy at the moment (only light when programmed in WODs), so my feedback is limited for that lift at heavier intensities — full disclosure.
For clean & jerks, there have been three standout things to enjoy with the UA Reign Lifter. This first is the feedback that you get from this shoe’s midsole and outsole when catching weight and when jerking.
When catching jerks, I really enjoyed the snappy this shoe has when planting and dropping under your jerk. I also like that the outsole grips well but it’s not so tacky that it takes away from making micro-adjustments in catches.
The second thing to like about this shoe is the upper and the medial/lateral TPU layers that help prevent spillover. I don’t think most lifters will have an issue with spilling over in this model even as the upper gets more worn in.
The third and last thing to like is the midfoot security and toe box once this shoe is broken in. After about two weeks of consistent use, I noticed that this model’s toe box got a lot more lively and flexible which I have really enjoyed.
UA Reign Lifter Sizing
For the UA Reign Lifter, I think most lifters and athletes should be safe going true to size with this shoe. Their length fits true and they have a narrow-to-neutral width.
I think if you wear Under Armour shoes now, and more specifically the UA TriBase Reign shoes and enjoy their fit, then you should resonate with the fit of the Reign Lifter as the last feels pretty similar.
For narrow and neutral-width feet, I don’t think you’ll have an issue with this model’s fit. If you have wide feet, then you may want to tread lightly when investing in this shoe.
The toe box of this model isn’t the widest and with its heavier upper construction, I don’t think it’s going to stretch out a ton over time. I’d also be hesitant with sizing up due to the strap sitting a little lower on the midfoot which could be problematic for heel slip.
- UA Reign Lifter: True to size for most. Wide feet may want to pass.
If you have additional questions about the sizing and fit of the UA Reign Lifter, drop a comment below and I can help you out accordingly.
Price Breakdown
For the UA Reign Lifter, you can expect to pay around $200 USD. This price point is similar to other premium weightlifting shoes offered by bigger shoe companies.
That being said, if we look at the price increase trend from Reebok and Adidas with their Legacy Lifter 3 and Adipower 3, then the UA Reign Lifter is actually a little more cost-efficient, relatively speaking.
I think the big question here is if this model is work $200 USD when there are solid options on the market that cost a little less. In my opinion, for Under Armour and TriBase Reign fans, I think this shoe is worth it.
It delivers a well-rounded performance and it feels durable so it should last a while if you’re taking good care of them during your weekly training sessions.
For wide feet and anyone that wants to spend less, then I think you’ll want to explore other options. If you want to spend around $100 USD, then I’d suggest looking into shoes like the Reebok Lifter PR II.
UA Reign Lifter
$200
Best For
- Squats
- Weightlifting
- TriBase Reign Fans
- Narrow/Neutral-Width Feet
Falls Short
- For Breathability
- For Wider Feet
Construction Details
The construction of the UA Reign Lifter feels pretty well-built out, especially for a first weightlifting shoe pass. Below are the key construction details to note about this shoe.
- Effective Heel Height: 19.7mm/.77 inches (heel: 23.7mm/forefoot: 4mm)
- Weight:
- Removable Insole: Yes
- Upper: 40% Leather, 30% Textile, 30% Synthetic Materials
- Full Rubber Outsole
- Midfoot Strap (metal anchor)
- TPU Midsole and Heel
- External Heel Tab
- Lightweight Mesh Tongue
- 5 Core Eyelets With a 6th for Lace-Lock
If you have additional questions about the UA Reign Lifter’s construction, drop them below and I can help clarify anything you have.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q:Do the UA Reign Lifter fit true to size?
Q:Are the UA Reign Lifter good for squats?
Takeaway Thoughts
It took a couple of weeks, but the UA Reign Lifter has steadily grown on me and I enjoy its performance in the gym. For my heavy squats and weightlifting sessions, this shoe has been consistent and well-rounded.
For Under Armour fans and those that love the TriBase Reign cross-training shoe line, I see the Reign lifter as a nice continuation and add to your workout shoe line-up.
There are a couple of things with this shoe that I feel hold it back a little like its sizing inclusivity for wide feet and its lack of breathability, but for the most part, this has been a pretty solid shoe.
If you have additional questions about the UA Reign Lifter, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly or @that_fit_friend).
