Executive Summary: UA kept the best parts of the Curry 2 while slightly improving the cushioning, fit and containment. Can’t ask for much more than that.
Do you prefer Blondes or Brunettes?
Here is my Curry 2 Review for reference:
Curry 2 Review
I was on the fence about the 2.5 because it didn’t appeal to me much visually but I saw the design could have some potential benefits. These were originally a team concept shoe called “Top Gun” but due to some mass shootings in the US, UA changed the name, added some Curry and bumped the price up.
Then the Warriors lost, bandwagoners jumped off and demand droppped, so I just waited and I picked these up for $95, I could have waited it out some more especially with the other colorways but I actually like the color blocking on the Black Reds. Reminds me of Kylo Ren for some reason.
Pros: traction, softer cushioning, fit, support and stabilty, containment, durable
Cons: needs a little break in time, burrito wrap tongue might not fit wider ankles and calves.
Best for: Any position
Sizing: half size up
Buying advice: wait until the Curry 3 releases for even better prices probably around the $79-89 range.
Weight:
1.5 oz more than the Curry 2.
Traction
Exactly the same as the Curry 2 which you know I love to death. Just works on any surface and belongs in the upper echelon of traction performance.
Cushioning
The main reason for the improved cushioning is the use of an Ortholite insole. Ortholite isn’t my favorite insole because it dies rather quickly and is too spongy to do any thing other than provide step in comfort.
Since I could actually remove the insole, I put in the Micro G insole from my Curry Ones to add a little more spring and impact protection to the overall set up.
Overall, it isn’t Boost or Zoom comfortable but it is a slight improvement over the Curry 2.
Fit
The fit is a little tricky but after a lot of back and forth, I feel that half a size up from the Curry 2 is ideal mainly because of the tighter overall fit. The Curry 2 did not have a removable insole and therefore had a little more room in the toe box. I could fit both true to size and half size up with the Curry 2 but with the 2.5 I could only fit half size up or a full size up. I tried a size 12 and it was comfortable but it would have had a little too much movement. With my true size 11, my toe was nearly at the end of the toe box . So as Goldilocks and the bears would say, half size up was just right with no deadspace side to side and no movement front to back.
Speaking of front to back, the burrito wrap and asymmetrical packing really works… if you have the right sized ankles.
For my perfectly sized ankles, the wrap went all the way around and centered itself. For wide ankles, you’ll be ok but I can imagine it being really irritating not getting the wrap all the way around and seeing and feeling the tongue off center.
Anyways, the wrap really pulls the ankle and heel back and makes the shoe like an extension of your foot.
Well done UA!
Materials
The first thought that crossed my mind was Kobe VII which was not a good thing.
But upon closer inspection, the design isn’t very similar.
First off, the upper isn’t 100% plastic like the Kobe VII and is actually mesh with PU overlays.
Secondly, the Kobe VII lines ran heel to toe while the Curry 2.5 runs medial to lateral.This allows the upper to flex naturally with the foot. It starts off a little stiff but after a game or two it flexes just fine.
The medial side is just a neoprene like material and just adds flexibility and comfort to the 2.5.
If you like mesh and knits, you may not like the 2.5 upper but the performance benenfits outweigh the comforts of knit and wovens.
I wasn’t sure If I’d like this upper but after playing in it, I love it. Strong yet flexible where needed.
Nice job UA!
Support and Stability
Just as stable as the Curry 2 yet a little more supportive due to the tighter fit and stiffer materials around the ankle. Heel is a little higher up which added to the one to oneness which I liked.
Containment
Pretty damn freaking good and better than the Curry 2 by a little due to smart design and stiffer materials in the right places.
You can see the placement of more PU in high wear and pressure areas. Add in the full length raised midsole and your foot is not going anywhere on hard cuts.
Well done UA!
Pricing
With the Curry 3 on the horizon and GSW blowing a 3-1 lead, these are sitting literally everywhere.. even local shops like Academy have them sitting on their shelves. Excess inventory means prices will fall although I think a fair price would be around $89-$79.
Conclusion
Usually I put this at the top of my reviews
UA kept the best parts of the Curry 2 and improved the cushioning, fit and containment. The burrito wrap really works well but unfortunately it won’t work for everyone’s ankles and calves which given the fickle nature of sneakerheads, that’s a no no. This will bump the Curry 2 down a notch because like the Rose 7, it does everything as well or better than the 2. It may even compete with the Rose 7 for the top spot after some more time because the fit and lockdown is better than the Rose 7 and the traction can hang with it. I’m still kicking myself for not trying these sooner!
schwollo.com 
Sounds like a performance beast! What about ventilation?I sweat a lot and that would be quite an issue for me.
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I played last night in a hot gym and they didn’t turn the ac on and my feet were hot. But prior to that in regular gyms no issues . Still isn’t the best bc the upper sits so tight and close to the foot.
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I ruled these out thinking the tpu would be too rigid. Rose 7 outsole burns way quicker vs 2.5s
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Probably right about thenrubber burning through but so far so good!
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I bought these and gone half size up 9.5 but it’s still a little bit tight on the side but have a little bit of space on the toe area. Dont you feel like somewhere on your upper ankle the back of the shoe is like piercing you??
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No I didn’t get that feeling but that higher cut on the back might bother you. Just work the back with your hands to break in
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Forgot to ask but how is the durability of the tractions??
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It’s good. Rubber isn’t overly soft and pattern isn’t overly thin.
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Thanks for the review! I completely agree that these are a beast. If you got really wide shreak feet would you prefer Rose 6 or 7? On a side note does UA have any product defect guarantee like nike? I think the heel cushion popped after I made a hard stop on defence. Mannn they were like a month old..
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Hmm I have wide feet but not shrek wide. There is enough space in both to fit a wider foot in my sz 11’s.
UA has a defect guarantee as well. Don’t know how the cushioning popped since it is foam but just contact customer service. They take back 60 days from purchase i think
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I loved my pair and I ended up selling my 2s after I played in my 2.5s a fair bit.
The fit was absolutely amazing and I don’t think I’ve had a better-fitting shoe on my foot for quite some time. I went TTS on these, as I found that they were just long enough and they weren’t really super tight width-wise. They were just the right length, and it gave me a pretty snug fit which I liked.
I also liked the change to the upper a lot, feels a lot more supportive than the 2s. The only thing I wasn’t really too fond of was the charged cushion. As a big man, I find myself wanting more impact protection if I’m playing a ton.
They are still really fun to play in though, but while I did find my legs tiring in longer hoop sessions, these are probably gonna be one of my go-to shoes for league play as the stoppages in play should allow my legs a bit of rest.
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Yep I agree. I like Charged bc it feels quick but I’m not a big . Agree about league play ..when the game is on the line, picknwhat works best for you for 40 mins !
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From which shoe is the new looking insole on the right?
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Curry 2.5
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I think for wide foot people they should run 1 size up cause im a wide footer and running half a size up still hurts my pinky toe
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All depends on foot shape. I tried full size up but too much movement in the heel
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Which shoe is better? Curry 2 or Curry 2.5?
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Fit is better with the 2.5 but if you want more freedom and range of motion go with 2.
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How thick is the insole?
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It’s a normal yellow ortholite insole so about 3 to 4 mm uncompressed
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I’ve heard other reviewers saying that these shoes feel clunky and big, do you feel like that too?
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No not at all. Very nice one to one fit that breaks in quickly.
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Did my reply go through ? No I don’t think these feel clunky or big
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thanks for answering. i might buy these soon:)
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The Curry 2.5 have a removable insole ?
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Yes
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the curry 2.5 is suitable for a wide leg ?
i dont know which size i need to order –
i got Nike Hyperdunk 2014 and i am US 10 (44) Size,
i dont know what the difference between under armour and nike, do you know?
to take curry 2.5 size 10 or 10.5 ?
thanks,you are really helping!
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Go 10.5 for wider foot like mine (half size up). I could fit true to size but ran a little shorter length wise than I prefer
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Do you know if Orthopedic insoles are okay with the curry 2.5?
i mean, i got nike hyperdunk 2014, and they have not removable insole, so if i try to put my orthopedic insoles ( because i have knee pain )
in the shoe, i cant put my foot because i dont have space.
the curry 2.5 got much space between the insoles to the up of the shoe ( i mean the upper part of the foot)
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You can remove the insole on the 2.5 but orthotics might take up more space so I’d suggest trying on in store if possible .
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Just got these. Noticed they have a heel drop. Do the curry 2’s 2 low’s also have the heel drop?
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All shoes have a heel to toe drop but some are more dramatic than others (Rose 7, dame 3 come to mind). Curry 2 lows have the same drop
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I see. I’ve worn them on court now and yea the heel to toe drop is actually very minor. I’m coming from playing indoors in the Kobe 9 though, and that is completely flat, so yea, thought that this was a big heel drop but nevermind. But I see.
Speaking of the Rose 7, looking forward to the Rose 7 low btw. I tried on the primeknit version, and I didn’t really like the fit even after going down half a size. If the low version has a good fit, that’ll be sick. I’ve been going full on traction lately, so only playing in the kobe em and elite’s indoors recently, and looking to add more shoes that have traction as good as it lol.
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The Rose 7 Low looks interesting. Don’t know how the fit can get better with a low but who knows. Some feet just don’t fit certain shoes.
Traction imo is the most important aspect of a shoe (if you didn’t figure that out). Kobe ix curry 2, aj xx8 Rose 7 are tops but you can go Mamba Instinct , AD, and maybe pg1 right behind it.
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I see. Wait, you think that high tops in general have superior fit? I just remember that you had heel slip on the KD7 and I didn’t have any. Also with the crazylight 2016 primeknit too. I went true to size on that and still didn’t get any heel slippage.
Yea, as a more explosive player here, traction is definitely the most important for me too. Will only settle for the best of the best here for indoors lol. I’ve already got the kobe 9 elite high and low and the EM and now the curry 2.5. I guess any shoe that you put at the very top tier of traction I will eventually get lol.
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I meant in general a mid or high has a better chance of giving a good fit than a low since it has the advantage of extra laces to pull the ankle and heel back. Give me ten mids and I’d probably have zero issues with heel slip. Give me 10 lows and I’d probably have half of them give me some issues. Mids don’t have to be as precise as lows that’s all.
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Oh yea, I see. Yea, seemed like the crazylight boost 2016 and KD 7 gave u problems with heel slip. Interestingly I’ve never had much problem with heel slip yet lol. Guess you can consider me lucky.
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Hey Schwollo, I’ve still got my eye on some 2.5s thanks to your ringing endorsement, and now their prices are getting near the $80 range you predict 🙂 Aesthetically, one of my favorite colorways is the black/yellow, but its translucent outsole gives me pause. Do you think its traction would be as good as on the ones with solid outsoles? I know the safe play would be to get one of the cws with solid rubber, but, damn, those black/yellow joints look good. Haha!
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I think it will play similarly but probably just a little worse . Get the 2.5 off Eastbay for $68 or wait for a MyFitnessPal coupon and get off UA for $60. I got the 2.5 gsw color for my friends recently for $ 52 plus tax . They are sitting like crazy lol
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Yeah, that’s what I was afraid of. Thanks!
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Just want to say I saw the 2.5s on sale for 48$ and was not sure to grab them, until I read your review and I went ahead and ordered them. Thanks for the detailed review.
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I saw those on finishline.. wish I had waited longer lol
Great deal !
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Should I buy these or hyperdunk 2016 ?
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What do you look for in a shoe?
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Do u know if the translucent outsole version of curry 2/2.5 has worse traction?
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I haven’t tried any of the translucent ones sorry
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SCHWOLLO!!
Sizing question. Are these the same LENGTH wise as the Curry 2, except with a tighter fit?
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Yes they are exactly the same length on the outside. The addition of an insole
To the 2.5 makes it tighter overall
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There are many people said that the quality of the 2.5 is awful and the original still better… which one should I pick?
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The quality? Like how well it’s made? No issues with any of the pairs i have. If you want a little more support, cushioning and ankle restriction get the 2.5. If you want more freedom go with the 2.
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What I mean is they’re complaining a lot about the soles falling off, and the holes on the midsole and upper.. etc
but btw thanks for the reply!
I’m had my eye on the 2 Grey Storm for a really long time and I think I should give it a shot. 😀
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Still in my top 3 . If you’re in the Us it’s super cheap too
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UA has a good warranty so if something did happen to them you can call
Them and they’ll usually give you a voucher
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oh man I totally forgot about the Rose 8
should I get these or wait for the Rose 8?
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Depends what you’re looking for in a shoe. What are you looking for ?
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Good cushion (don’t hurt my feet after playing, don’t make me feel like sinking into it, don’t be dead like Lunarlon, in this case: Boost), materials: not boiling my feet, not bumping to my toes, superb traction: 2 of them are awesome 😀
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Just look at my top
Ten list on the side. Only new ones not included are the HD17 fk and Jordan 31 low is an alternate to the Kobe iv .
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