Under Armour Lockdown 6 review

We think that the Lockdown 6 from Under Armour is a good choice for players who:

• need an affordable entry-level basketball shoe
• want a durable shoe that doesn't break the bank
• look for a comfortable and good-looking shoe for both on and off the court

As a budget-oriented shoe, it is obvious that the UA Lockdown 6 does not perform at the same level as its more expensive counterparts.

So, if you are willing to stretch your basketball shoe budget by another £30-40, you can get a solid pair of much higher quality.

We recommend having a look at the PUMA Court Rider or the Jordan Luka 1 as an alternative to the Lockdown 6.

When it comes to cushioning, the Lockdown 6 is the most average hoop shoe you can imagine. Every single midsole parameter we measured in this UA shoe corresponds to the average of our lab-tested basketball shoes.

The heel stack height comes in at 29 mm, which is the same as the average. That doesn't mean bad though! It translates into pretty sufficient impact protection upon landing.

In the forefoot, the calliper shows 21.9 mm. This stack height gave us enough cushioning under the toes while still maintaining sufficient court feel.

At 7.1 mm, the heel-to-toe drop also turns out to be the same as the average. We consider it as the optimal heel elevation which keeps the landings safe but doesn't compromise connection to the ground.

Like most basketball shoes, the UA Lockdown 6 uses a firmer foam for cushioning. Measuring its softness with a durometer returned 30.5 HA.

But what makes this shoe different from the more expensive models is that it uses a basic EVA foam. This material doesn't have any exciting characteristics like springiness or bounce and feels pretty dull underfoot.

If you crave a better energy return for jumps, it's better to invest in the top-tier Curry Flow 10 shoe.

The shoe uses a fairly standard insole to complete the cushioning. It has an average thickness of 4.4 mm.

For our medium-width feet, we have no complaints regarding the shoe's fit. The toebox offered the right amount of space for our toes to splay and feel at home.

Measuring the widest part of the toebox with a calliper, we got 95.9 mm, which is a couple of millimetres narrower than average. However, this was not a problem given that the rest of the toebox remained on the wide side.

At the big-toe mark, we measured the width of the toebox at 79.5 mm. That's a little wider than average.

Given the shoe's price point, we kept our expectations low when testing the stability of the UA Lockdown 6. And it actually wasn't that bad.

In our opinion, the shoe provides an essential amount of support for someone who is just starting out with the sport.

But if you have weak ankles or need more supportive shoes in general, we recommend investing in shoes like the Adidas Dame 8 or the PUMA MB.02.

In a manual assessment, we found that the Lockdown 6 is pretty easy to twist. Maybe even a little too easy for a basketball shoe. We rated the shoe's torsional rigidity as only 3  out of 5 whereas the average is 4.5.

For comparison, here is what a stiffer platform looks like on the PUMA MB.02 (stiffness score: 4).

Besides torsional flexibility, this UA shoe also lacks stiffness in the heel counter. Squeezing and pushing the back of the shoe revealed how pliable it is. On a 1-5 scale where 5 is the stiffest, we rated it as only 2.

On the court, it translated to a weaker heel hold and more ankle wobbling.

On a lighter note, the UA Lockdown 6 has an amply wide platform which helps to keep the landings stable.

In the widest area of the forefoot, we measured the sole at 112.2 mm - same as the average of our tested hoop shoes.

Back in the heel, the calliper shows 91.3 mm in the widest part. It is a solid heel width for a proper basketball shoe.

There is not a lot of give in the shoe's platform but it's not stiffer than the average either.

Measuring how much force it takes to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle, our gauge returned 38.5N. That's about the same as it took our lab-tested basketball shoes on average.

Whether that's good or bad news depends on each player's personal preference. Some enjoy a more flexible ride as it gives more control during agile movements, while others rely on stiffer platforms for stability and quicker turnovers.

On the scale, the UA Lockdown 6 shows 13.1 oz (371g) in a men's US size 9. That's about half an ounce lighter than average and is a nice surprise considering the shoe's synthetic leather upper.

With its synthetic leather upper and minimal ventilation holes, the Lockdown 6 is not a very breathable shoe.

As our smoke-pumping test proves, the air is only able to escape through the mesh material on the tongue. For that reason, we rated this UA shoe's breathability with a low score of 2 out of 5.

And as you can see from our transparency test below, even the mesh panels on the sides don't seem to be very functional either.

If breathability is important to you, have a look at the Nike Precision 6. It is a much better aerated alternative at the same price point.

The upside of synthetic leather is that it levels up the shoe's upper durability quite a bit. It even helped the Lockdown 6 to surpass some of the more expensive hoop shoes!

We used a Dremel to test the shoe's capacity to resist abrasion. After drilling the toebox for 12 seconds at the speed of 10K RPM, the damage was very surface-level.

This gained the shoe a solid 4 out of 5 for toebox durability.

Another part of the shoe that sustained the Dremel challenge was the heel padding.

Even though there is no leather here, the textile proved to be pretty hard-wearing. Four seconds of drilling only resulted in a small scuff.

This convinced us to rate the durability of this part as 4 out of 5.

Another pleasant surprise was the outsole.

For such a cheap shoe, the UA Lockdown 6 uses a pretty hard rubber compound.

Pressing a durometer against it gave us a reading of 80.1 HC. That's the same hardness we see in many expensive hoop shoes.

Based on this measurement and our own experience, it is one of the few cheap shoes that we can recommend for outdoor play.

The shoe also has a sufficient amount of rubber to withstand wear and tear. Our calliper shows 3.5 mm of thickness in the outsole.

Whoops! That's a slippy one.

The Lockdown 6 disappointed us when it came to testing its grip on the court. Yes, it is a cheap shoe but how come are there shoes in the same price range that grip better? Take the Nike Precision 6 for example.

Given the shoe's price point, we kept our expectations low when testing the stability of the UA Lockdown 6. And it actually wasn't that bad.

In our opinion, the shoe provides an essential amount of support for someone who is just starting out with the sport.

But if you have weak ankles or need more supportive shoes in general, we recommend investing in shoes like the Adidas Dame 8 or the PUMA MB.02.

The tongue has a pretty standard amount of padding in it. Using a calliper, we measured its thickness at 8.1 mm.

The UA Lockdown 6 uses a standard tongue that's separate from the upper. We think that adding a pair of gussets might've helped to make the shoe a little bit more supportive.

A finger loop is attached at the back of the shoe to help the on-and-off action.

The insole is removable, allowing you to wear a different kind of insert or a custom orthotic if needed.