Executive Summary:
Excellent fit but cushioning feels like Curry 2 or CFD2 not the CFD1. Traction is excellent on clean floors but needs more wiping than the previous Clutchfit Drives on dusty floors.
Last year’s Clutchfit Drive 2 was a solid performer but barely had any Clutchfit material. The Clutchfit Drive 3 returns to its Clutchfit Drive roots with a full upper makeover and supposedly Micro G.
Pros: clean floor traction, familiar cushioning, excellent fit, containment
Cons: traction on dusty floors needs wiping, rides higher and firmer than CFD1. how about some cushioning differentiation? Not the most stable shoe relative to others
Sizing: regular and narrow footers go true to size, wide footers can go up half a size if needed although I didn’t
Best for: guards
Buying advice: wait for serious discounts, these aren’t going anywhere or buy the CFD 1 at discount shops or eBay.
Weight
Pretty much every shoe this year is about 16 oz
Traction
If you didn’t like the traction on the CFD 1 or 2 you won’t like these either. Fantastic on clean floor but on dusty floors you’ll have to wipe fairly often. Rubber is the middle is softer/stickier and the grooves in the middle are tightly spaced in the forefoot. The outer grooves save the traction when they get dusty so you’re not slipping and sliding too much but be prepared to wipe. I think changing the compound is a good concept but model the similarly spaced like the Crazylight Boost 2016.
I had to wipe more often than I did with the CFD 1 which I feel is my lower limit for traction performance so these didn’t make the cut for me.
Cushioning
According to UA literature, the CFD3 features Charged in the heel and a full length layer of Micro G…if you say so UA?
The CFD 1 has been in my top 5 rotation since it came out and the CFD 3 does not feel anything like the original in terms of cushioning. I felt like I was playing in my Curry 2/2.5 (which I like for different reasons) but when UA states Micro G is back, expectations of a softer ride enter my mind. Below you can see the Ortholite sockliner.
It isn’t a bad ride at all but for those expecting that low ride and soft bounce of Micro, you won’t be happy. The CFD3 rides higher than the previous two versions and that Micro G feel isn’t there either. My guess is “a layer of Micro G sits on top of the bigger chunk of Charged cushioning so it’s like a foam topper on firm mattress. I would have rather had Micro G in the heel and just Charged in the forefoot personally.
Materials
Clutchfit is back in full this time around
Flexible, pliable, and conforms to the foot like a glove (not OJ’s glove mind you..sorry been watching OJ Made in America, great series by the way)
UA got rid of all that synthetic that the CFD 2 had and redesigned the Clutchfit material to be even better. With the CFD 1, you’d have a bit of bunching and deadspace in the toe box but the CFD 3 material eliminated that. It feels like UA just tightened a lumpy carpet. I also liked the tighter Clutchfit pattern in the toe box to assist with containment.
Well done UA!
Fit
I went true to size and these fit me perfectly length and width wise. The CFD2 was a little short in the toe box but these are true to size like the original. I tried half a size up and I could fit that as well but I felt a little too much movement so wide footers may want to try these on.
There is a lot more padding in the heel and tongue of CFD 3 versus the CFD 1 which is a good thing in my opinion.
All the little tweaks UA made with the CFD 3 resulted in a great one to one fit.
Great job UA!
Support and stability
Like the CFD 1, the high ankle collar is very pliable so there isn’t much in terms of support other than the fit and heel counter.
The CFD 3 is stable underfoot thanks to the outrigger and flat heel.
It isn’t as stable as the Curry Two or Jc2 but it’s stable enough. I felt it to be a little tippy for my tastes but I didn’t sprain anything during my runs with the CFD3. The CFD 1 was solid in the heel.
Containment
Surprisingly good and that’s due to the design of the Clutchfit in the toe box. Since it tightens up in the toe box, it doesn’t flex and stretch as much as the rest of the shoe. I still prefer the containment of the CFD 1 since it has a physical barrier running almost the entire length of the shoe.
Regardless of my preference, these were nicely engineered UA!
Conclusion
Expectations really change how someone perceives a shoe and UA set expectations high when they mentioned the use of Micro G. If they didn’t mention it at all, I don’t think anyone would care but the fact that they didn’t deliver on the Micro G feel is going to be letdown for most. However, cushioning is perfectly fine to me and feels like last seasons’s Charged set ups. I’m extremely happy Clutchfit came back in full force but the traction let me down down a bit and the shoe as a whole feels almost too similar to the CFD 1 which is good thing for those who didn’t get a chance to pick those up. I would not advise buying these now because since Steph has his own line, the CFD is pretty much the ugly step sister nobody wants. These will hit outlets and be steeply discounted in the next few months. UA really should make a GSW colorway to generate some buzz or some PE’s. I ordered the White Royal off Eastbay but it got canceled and got removed off the site
The CFD 1 was just a great balanced shoe so it’s going to be nearly impossible for UA to top it. If you’re looking for that Micro G feel, look at the Lightning 2, Torch 4 and Rocket or look on eBay or Marshall’s for the original CFD as they are popping up for way under retail.
The CFD3 here in the philippines is more expensive than the KD9
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I don’t get UA and adidas prices outside the US at all.
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Same here – Curry 2 are 175 eur i think. Thanks but thanks – especially when usd to eur is around .93
Good review by the way.
To avail of all the discounts i would need someone in the us to send them to me so no ua for me (or brandblack for that matter) until they fix the pricing
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That’s nuts !
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I believe this shoe is a great choise for those who missed Curry 1s because aesthetically they look almost the same. I didn’t have the chance to obtain CFD 1 but i have seen the newest CFD (in high and low versions) and i am on the verge of buying them in order to see how Micro G and Charged are working together. Great review once again Schwollo!
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They look a lot like the first CFD but not really that much like the curry 1 imo. Thanks for reading Greeksneak!
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Hi Schwollo,
Nice review as always! Will the low version be tested as well?
I have purchased the CFD 2 low at a very good price but I do not know why, except for my two first trainings, the edge of the shoe near the interior side of the tongue digs now into the ball of my ankle, regardless of how tight I lace the shoe. It is quite intense and I feel bad because surprisingly the cushion is surprisingly very good and the traction is beast!
Does someone has the same issue ? Do you know how to find a solution for this matter?
Thanks!
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No plans for the low although it did cross my mind lol
Your tongue might have a hard metal
Piece piece or bunched up fabric..can either work it with your hands or try to put mole skin or athletic tape over it. Good luck !
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Hello schwollo good day, I want to buy the CFD 3 low in 9.5 but my 9.5 of the CFD 2 low I get a little tight. Will you know if the CFD 3 low is longer? I am from Argentina and do not sell them here, so I want to make sure before buying.
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I didn’t buy the low so I can’t answer that with certainty. The upper is softer than the 2 though . Sorry couldn’t help more!
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Did my reply go through ? I didn’t buy the low so I can’t answer with certainty. The upper is softer though. Sorry couldn’t help more!
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