Five years after the debut of the original Under Armour Anatomix Spawn, the 2019 edition is here and we have the performance review.

Traction was beastly. Straight up beastly. Not quite Kobe 9 level, but just barely below it due to the softer rubber compound used. My one day’s worth of outdoor hoops caused quite a bit of rubber fraying versus just playing with them indoors.

Despite using translucent rubber, which was a dust magnet, the traction was rarely affected negatively. A quick wipe here or there was needed, but nothing out of the ordinary. Out of everything I’ve tested this year (2019) and most of last year, this is the best traction setup I’ve personally experienced.

Micro G is back! Is it on the same level as OG Micro G? Not exactly, but it’s so close you almost wouldn’t notice. This rendition is lighter and less dense, so maybe we should call it Micro G light. Just like the OG Micro G, the cushion is well-balanced. Offering court feel and impact protection, it’s not as rubbery feeling under-foot but still a very nice setup.

Materials are reminiscent of the original as far as the skin-like sections; they’re applied in layers that offer support right where you need it and flex where you’d want it. Lightweight mesh is the main build with the skin-like overlays atop which keeps things very light while retaining some support within the build. Something to note, for those that care, is that the toe area is very well ventilated as the lightweight mesh lets cool air in and hot air out.

The only thing I didn’t like about the materials were how they fit my foot at the toe.

True to size is what I would recommend, however, the toe area left me with some unwanted dead space. I prefer my shoes to sit right on top of my foot and with the Spawn Low 2019, I’ve had to really yank the laces up in the forefoot to achieve that feeling. Doing so ended up leaving the toe area bunched up and bubbled, something I could feel with every step.

The rest of the shoe fit very well, but I would’ve liked the ankle collar area to have had an extra eyelet so it would draw my heel into the rear of the shoe a bit better.

This may not be an issue for those with feet that will fill out all the additional space within the shoe. However for me, there was just not as much of a one-to-one fit that I received with the original version of the Spawn.

Support is pretty standard. There are Internal heel counters are in place but the midsole is the real star here. You sit within the midsole quite a bit — something I love — so you can feel the tooling really taking care of you, ensuring you don’t slide over the footbed. While there is no traditional outrigger, the forefoot section is caged with the rubber outsole wrapping its way up acting as a barrier — without biting into my foot — which I enjoyed. I’m not sure if there is a torsion plate within the shoe, though I assume there is, but I never experienced any torsion issues. I just had some foot fatigue from lace pressure.

While I personally liked the way the original Anatomix Spawn fit my feet more than the 2019 edition, the traction on this shoe is simply awesome. Micro G that feels good is a huge plus as well. Again, my only gripe was the dead space in the toe; had that not been a problem for me then these would have worked out perfectly for me. If the Under Armour Anatomix Spawn Low 2019 fits your needs and your foot, then this might end up being one of the steals of the year at just $110.

If you’ve been playing in the new Anatomix Spawn Low 2019, I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comment section. Did you experience any issues with the fit or have they been working out perfectly for you? Was the traction as good for you as it was for me? Sound off below and let me know.

As always, thanks for stopping by, and I’ll catch you on the next one.