Are These Under Armour Boots the Hidden (Golden) Gems You’ve Been Waiting For?

Under Armour’s Magnetico range has always found a spot on the feet of some of the world’s best players, but has somehow struggled to make real inroads as the go-to boots for the masses. While the Under Armour name might not be the biggest in the football boot market, the new Magnetico 6 is arguably the best iteration to date, fixing many of the strange design choices of yesteryear to make it something seriously worth considering.

We slipped on the Select model of the Magnetico 6, which is the second-tier takedown version of the high-end boot. Surprisingly, despite being substantially cheaper (R1,999 instead of R5,499 for the Elites), it still delivers a really comprehensive package.

What I love about the Select tier of Under Armour boots is that, even at a lower price, they still include some of the comfort elements of the higher-end boots. With other brands, the ‘nicer’ parts of the Elite boot, such as a knitted collar or soft upper, are often ditched on the lower-end models. However, with the Magnetico Select 6, you still get a mesh collar to (try) and replicate the knitted collar, along with a really soft synthetic upper. Of course, it may not be as plush and premium as you’d find on the Elite model, but it’s a nice touch.

Knitted boots often fit pretty tight, but the Magnetico Select 6 (having somewhat of a mix of a knitted collar and synthetic upper) fits a bit ‘looser’ than what you may expect. It’s still a comfortable and secure fit on your foot, with some decent cushioning in the heel area too. With that said, there are definitely some dead spots and areas where it could be a little more snug — however, that tighter fit is often what you get when you pay a premium for the top-end Elite model.

On the plus side, it’s still an accommodating fit, and the wide silhouette of the boot allows those with wider feet to fit into the toebox without any cramping of the toes. This is something that is incredibly overlooked in today’s ultra-narrow football boot market, so it’s a welcome feature of the Selects.

On the outsole, the boot features a slightly different soleplate from that of the Elite model. It’s a bit more of a generic TPU plate that has appeared on previous iterations of the Magnetico. You get an all-conical stud shape, which is perfect for planting and rotating without any stress on the joints, along with an extra stud in the forefoot on the lateral and medial sides. I’ve always been a fan of this layout as it takes a bit more pressure off that metatarsal bone, which always picks up blisters and stud pressure in the traditional 6-stud layout at the forefoot.

It’s not a soleplate that’s doing anything fancy, and I actually like it for that. It’s got some rigidity in the midfoot, which is good, and there was little to no stud pressure playing on a fairly hard natural grass pitch for over 2 hours.

For fans of boots with control and grip elements, there is a three-star embossed texturing on the upper that provides some solid grip on the ball, although it’s not sticky like something you’d see on an Adidas Predator.

While Under Armour might not be on everyone’s boot radar just yet, the US company is dropping some seriously impressive releases in recent seasons. The Magnetico 6 is the best version of their control boot to date, and the Select is a really admirable takedown model that gives you a taste of the higher-end options without the steep price. If you’re looking for comfort and simplicity, the Magnetico Select 6 should be a strong consideration.

The Under Armour Magnetico 6 Select is available for R1,999 from Under Armour’s stores and online.