Under Armour Curry Flow 10 review

Stephen Curry's tenth signature shoe is an obvious treat to his fans. Besides them, we think that Curry Flow 10 will benefit the players who:

• are guards like Curry himself
• appreciate court feel more than impact protection
• only play indoors

The UA Curry 10 tread pattern is directly etched on its exposed Flow midsole. No matter how sturdy it is claimed to be, the foam is still easily damaged by the outdoor surface. If you frequently play on asphalt and other outdoor surfaces, we recommend the Nike KD 15 or the Nike LeBron NXXT GEN instead.

This Under Armour shoe offers more court feel at the expense of impact protection. Thus, we think that bigger and/or more aggressive players will prefer a shoe like the Nike LeBron 20 or the cheaper Jordan Luka 1.

Looking at the caliper measurement of 30.4 mm, we couldn't believe that the shoe's cushioning is actually that tall in the heel.

Playing in the Curry 10, we experienced plenty of ground feel and it felt like our feet were sitting really close to the ground.

We also got a taller-than-average stack height in the shoe's forefoot. At 24.5 mm, it is a few millimeters taller than most shoes but it never affected the ground feel in our experience.

Apparently, it's the drop that makes this UA shoe feel so grounded.

While most basketball shoes come with a drop of 7-9 mm, the UA Curry 10 features a lower 6 mm offset.

Because the heel is not so raised, the foot ends up in a more parallel position to the ground. That contributes to a better connection with the court.

The Under Armour Curry 10 offers a very fine cushioning setup by mixing soft foam and a stiff long shank. This resulted in a very lively and springy ride with plenty of bounce-back.

Using a durometer to measure foam softness, we got 24.6 HA. That is 13% softer than average.

Measuring the widest part of the forefoot with a caliper, we got 97.5 mm. That's a couple of millimeters narrower than average.

Please keep in mind that the UA Curry Flow 10 has a pretty snug, glove-like fit. It works just fine for our medium-width feet but wide footers will benefit from going half a size up.

At least the shoe is less tapered around the toes. Our caliper shows 79.5 mm of width at the big-toe mark which is a couple of millimeters wider than average.

This Under Armour shoe finds a neat way to balance stability and natural movement.

Whether it's thanks to the flexible Warp upper, the soft midsole, or the combination of both, the Curry 10 turned out to be 18% more flexible than the average.

We measured how much force it takes to bend the shoe to a 90-degree angle and it required only 35.5N.

This UA shoe is one of the lightest hoop shoes you can currently get.

It tips the scale at 12.6 oz (358g) which is an ounce lighter than the average. During the playtest, it actually felt non-existent on our feet.

This must be the most breathable basketball shoe we've ever seen!

All the smoke we pumped through the shoe's upper went right through the fabric like there were no obstacles at all. Thus, the Curry 10 earns a solid 5 out of 5 for breathability.

Putting the shoe's Warp upper against the light, it's clear to see how transparent it is in between the webbings.

We also couldn't help but take a closer look at the Warp through our microscope.

Here is what Under Armour's secret success formula looks like up close. Very thin but strong threads intertwined with thicker ones for a balance of durability and ventilation.

This Curry shoe provides phenomenal lockdown and support. Performing shifty movements and staying quick on the feet is much easier with this pair of hoop shoes.

We see no risk of rolling the ankle in the Curry 10 and the heel hold is super secure.

The UA Curry 10 has a much larger shank compared to the other basketball shoes we've cut through.

That definitely adds more structure and rigidity to the platform, making the shoe nearly impossible to twist with bare hands.

Based on our manual assessment, the shoe gets 5 out of 5 for torsional rigidity.

Assessing the shoe's heel counter, we found that it is a little more forgiving than the average. On a 1-5 scale, where 5 is the stiffest, we gave it a rating of 3.

It means that the heel clutch is not so aggressive, allowing the ankle some freedom of movement while keeping it sufficiently supported.

The Curry 10 also boasts a wide contact area. We measured the widest part of its platform at 114 mm in the forefoot, which is about the same as the average.

But in the heel, the shoe gets wild.

Measuring the platform's widest part in the heel, we got 95.9 mm. That's a whole 5 mm wider than average!

On the court, this number translates into very stable landings and more surefooted lateral movements.

From our experience, wear resistance and breathability rarely go together. But the Curry 10 proved to be that one rare case.

Applying our Dremel to the shoe's toebox at a speed of 10K RPM for 12 seconds, we only got through the topmost layer! That barely affected the shoe's integrity and it was still pretty much wearable.

Thus, the Curry 10 deserves as much as 4 out of 5 for toebox durability.

To give you some context, here is the hole that the same Dremel test (same speed and force applied) did to the Nike LeBron Witness 7.

We threw yet another durability challenge at the Curry 10 and it nailed it again!

This time, we applied the Dremel to one of the most sensitive parts of a shoe - the heel padding. After 4 seconds of drilling, all we saw was a scratch! This earned the shoe another 5 out of 5.

Looks like this UA shoe was built for some serious wear and tear.

Outdoor use is a big NO-NO for the Curry 10.

Pressing a durometer against the bottom of the shoe gave us a reading of 59.5 HC. That is a whopping 35% softer than the average of basketball shoes!

So, if you hope to enjoy your games in the Curry 10, do stay away from outdoor courts.

The shoe has no rubber outsole to cover up its exposed Flow cushioning. And no matter how sturdy that foam may be, it will never be as durable as rubber.

We always measure stack height with the insole included. In the Curry 10, the insole is 5.1 mm thick in the heel.

This well-padded component complements the shoe's cushioning for a pleasant underfoot experience.

The shoe's insole is easily removable. If needed, you can replace it with a thinner/thicker insert or even a custom orthotics to enhance your experience.

The UA curry is pretty plush and padded inside without being overkill. Measuring the tongue thickness, for example, returned 7.1 mm. This is just a little less than the average.

A fully-gusseted tongue helps to create that snug and secure foothold of the Curry 10. This design not only prevents the tongue from sliding around but also holds the foot very firmly in place.

A large finger loop at the back is a super handy feature! We were literally flying into the shoe with its help.