Under Armour Charged Assert 9 review

For beginners seeking a durable, wallet-friendly shoe that can multitask as a cross-trainer or walking shoe, we think the Charged Assert 9 is a superb pick. Even seasoned runners can rely on it, as we found, for easy or moderate runs. But it's only suited for those among us who appreciate a balanced or firm midsole.

Here are some situations where we think that runners seeking a budget-friendly shoe might want to look elsewhere:

• Fans of plush midsoles may find this one a bit too firm. In that case, we'd recommend the Nike Air Winflo 9.
• Midfoot or forefoot strikers might not find enough stack height in this Under Armour shoe. A solid alternative for them that's still easy on your wallet is the Saucony Axon 2.
• For those of living in colder climates, this shoe may not offer a pleasant running experience. The ASICS Gel Excite 9 performs far better in winter conditions.

It's well known that beginners frequently prefer affordable shoes and they often strike the ground with their heel. Thats the reason why we're noticing a clear trend among entry-level shoes from many brands.

They're leaning toward generous stack heights in the heel. In the CA9, our precise measurement came at 34.0-mm stack in the heel.

However, for those of us who are forefoot or midfoot strikers, the forefoot section comes up a bit short on foam.

Measuring at 23.1 mm, once we deduct the outsole and the insole, there's barely any foam left, as the picture clearly illustrates.

A tall heel coupled with a low forefoot inevitably results in a significant heel-to-toe drop.

For the Charged Assert 9, we measured a considerable drop of 10.9 mm. Again, this one is clearly tailored with heel strikers in mind.

If you're a fan of ultra-soft midsoles, stay away from this one.

However, it's not as tough as a brick underfoot—we confirmed that with a hardness rating of 27.8 HA, but it doesn't offer the dreamy, plush comfort you'd find in shoes like the ASICS Novablast 3.

After we let the CA9 chill out in our freezer for 20 minutes, the foam got much firmer.

Our durometer clocked in at 34.5 HA, which isn't what we wanted to obtain, unfortunately.

We witnessed a 24.3% change here, which lines up with what you'd expect from the average shoe. For a midsole made of EVA, that's not a disappointing outcome after all.

Measured with our caliper at 4.4 mm, the insole is not setting off any fireworks, but it's not giving us any headaches either! 

For us, the CA9 felt just a tad too small. If you're often caught between sizes, consider going up half a size. However, most runners should stick with their usual size.

In crafting a versatile, multi-purpose shoe, it's critical that manufacturers avoid creating narrow uppers—they can really hinder comfort during casual wear or walking.

Happily, this Under Armour stands out with its wide design, measuring an impressive 99.4 mm at the upper's broadest point, exceeding the width of most average shoes.

On the downside, the shoe runs a bit narrow in the big toe area. This could be a slight discomfort for runners whose feet are particularly wide at the toes.

Our measurement came in at 74.7 mm in this area.

As a moderately firm running shoe, you'd expect the Charged Assert 9 to be stable. But is it?

The truth is, right off the bat, we could tell stability wasn't going to be a problem for this Under Armour running shoe.

This shoe outshines most regarding flexibility, enhancing comfort and effortlessly transforming from a running shoe into a casual, everyday walking shoe.

This added versatility is certainly a delightful bonus for those who want a do-it-all shoe. We rated it at 2/5 in our torsional rigidity test.

Being a shoe marketed for beginners and at a entry-level price, it made no sense to put a firm heel counter on it. That's why we inmediately noticed that it was really pliable, and we gave it another 2/5.

We did notice a bit of heel slippage when picking up the pace. Fortunately, a quick switch to a runner's knot put an immediate stop to that issue.

With a substantial width of 111.3 mm in the forefoot, the Charged Assert 9 feels stable once more. Plus, it handles corners reliably, making us feel secure no matter the turn.

The heel is where this shoe really needs to be wide, considering it's designed with heel strikers in mind, as we said before.

We're pleased to say that, measuring in at 90.5 mm in our lab, it's indeed broad enough to ensure all heel landings are safe and secure.

There have been times when we thought a shoe was incredibly flexible, only for the numbers to prove us wrong. But this isn't one of those instances.

It took us a mere 17.7N of force to bend this shoe to 90 degrees, and with this measurement, the Charged Assert 9 easily secures a spot in the top 10% for flexibility.

But does it remain flexible in cold conditions? Well, not quite as much as we might like.

Even though it's more bendable than most shoes, the feel definitely changes somewhat in the cold. That's the thing with EVA midsoles.

You might have picked up on the massive disparity between our first and second measurements. Indeed, with a whopping 82.6% difference, the shoe's performance is downright disappointing.

This enormous difference ensures the shoe will feel drastically different when you're running in cold weather.

Let's be clear—this shoe isn't marketed or designed to be a lightweight daily trainer. And tipping the scales at 10.2 oz or 290g, it goes past the 10 oz mark by just a smidge.

It's important for us to remember that we're dealing with a budget-friendly shoe here, tailored for easy or moderate runs. In this context, lightness isn't the top priority, and this weight it's acceptable.

At a quick glance, the breathability of the UA Charged Assert 9 doesn't appear to be impressive. However, we can't just rely on first impressions—we put running shoes through rigorous lab tests, that's what we do.

Our first step involves pumping smoke through the shoe to assess its breathability. Unfortunately, this particular Under Armour model is a bit of a disappointment in this area, earning a lower-than-average score of 3 out of 5.

While we can see a small amount of light coming through from the other side, it's minimal at best. This observation only confirms our initial impression of the shoe's subpar breathability. 

But nothing like the microscope for a deeper understanding of the upper. Under Armour has designed the shoe with a multi-layered engineered mesh that restricts airflow, and they have not included any ventilation holes in the design.

While sometimes poor breathability in shoes can be attributed to a rugged upper, sadly, that's not an excuse for the Charged Assert 9.

We conducted our Dremel test and the results left us no choice but to give it a disappointing 1 out of 5. Indeed, the shoe sports a reinforced toe cap, which provides good protection against abrasion. However, the rest of the upper isn't up to par, making the shoe extremely susceptible to wear and tear.

Our disappointment didn't end there. When we applied the Dremel to the heel area, debris began flying in all directions.

This unpleasant surprise forced us to hand out another underwhelming score of 1 out of 5.

But the tide turned when we assessed the outsole.

We gauged the rubber hardness at 86.0 HC, a truly high value, suggesting that this shoe should offer exceptional durability.

Indeed, upon utilizing the Dremel one more time in this shoe, we confirmed that the rubber Under Armour uses is incredibly robust.

With a remarkable thickness of 4.9 mm, this outsole stands as one of the thickest we've ever gauged in a road running shoe.

Couple this with the outstanding durability we've witnessed in the previous tests in our lab, and we confidently predict that we'll wear ourselves out long before we even come close to wearing down this impressive outsole.

Kudos to UA for this tongue! With a cushy 7.1 mm of padding inside, you can lace up as tight as you want.

Typically, affordable running shoes tend to skip on some features like a gusseted tongue. Unsurprisingly, this shoe also follows the same trend.

As we said just before, budget-friendly running shoes often miss out on additional features such as a gusseted tongue.

However, Under Armour pleasantly surprised us by including a heel tab in this one! We are truly appreciative of this cool touch as it makes slipping our feet into the shoe a breeze.

We've found no trouble replacing the insoles with those from other shoes, since the included ones are not glued down at all.