Under Armour Charged Assert 10 Introduction

The Under Armour Charged Assert 10 is a very budget-friendly running shoe. It uses Charged Cushioning, which used to be UA’s premier cushioning before they started using HOVR™ and Flow in their higher end shoes.

Nonetheless, it is still a very responsive and durable foam that is soft enough to handle the impacts of running.

This is a shoe that is built for mostly neutral runners looking for a cushioned shoe in the budget category. I would categorize this for people who mostly do 5ks as part of a bigger workout plan that might include the gym, Crossfit, walking, etc.

Compared to the Charged Assert 9, it doesn’t look like much has changed in terms of the upper, midsole, or technology.

It does look like there are updated color schemes to choose from. This means that the upper is still made of lightweight mesh, the Charged Cushioning still comprises the midsole, and the rubber outsole is still solid enough to last for a long while.

The shoe weighs 9.5 oz, which is slightly heavier than the previous model but still comes in at a 10mm offset.

This shoe retails for $75.00 but is typically on sale on the website with various discount codes.

This shoe maintains its place as a multipurpose shoe.

Under Armour Charged Assert 10 First Impressions

t looked and felt like a shoe that would last for a very long time. I got the Academy blue color and I thought it looked stylish enough.

When I tried them on, they felt comfortable. They have an EVA sockliner that makes your foot feel pretty comfortable once you step into the shoe.

The shoe felt very stable. My first run in these shoes was a 7-mile easy run. I could feel a little rubbing on the top of my big toes but generally the shoe was fine.

They felt pretty good for the first few miles but I could feel the lack of high end cushioning after about 5 miles.

Under Armour Charged Assert 10 Upper

The upper is a nice mesh with some synthetic leather overlays. The upper is built well and looks like it can take a beating. It’s not the most breathable shoe although it does just enough. If you’re in very hot weather, you might consider thinking twice about this shoe as it just might run hot. I’ve only tested this is mild to colder weather and I had no issues with breathability.

The laces and tongue on this shoe are just fine. The laces stayed tied even on single knots for all my runs. The tongue is soft and doesn’t seem to get in the way much.

There was some rubbing on the top of my big toe but I mostly noticed that after running in them for more than 30 minutes.

The shoe fits true to size overall and has wide width options in similar color schemes.

Under Armour Charged Assert 10 Sole Unit

The Charged Assert 10 has Under Armour’s proprietary Charged Cushioning as its midsole foam.

The foam itself isn’t the softest nor will it take a lot of the pounding of longer runs but it is just fine for those 3-5 mile runs.

I can say that after some of my shorter runs in that range, my legs felt good. I even kept the shoes on for errands and an afternoon walk with the dogs. The shoes held up well and did their job.

The EVA sockliner inside the shoe adds to the soft feel. This shoe would be considered more firm than soft in terms of cushioning. It doesn’t give you a big bounce or energy return.

After running in this shoe for nearly 60 miles, I would say that there was a break-in period necessary for me to want to run in these shoes for more than 5 miles.

After that initial 7 mile run, I limited this shoe to runs 5 miles or less. My last run in this shoe was 8 miles and it finally felt more comfortable, although not a shoe I would intentionally choose for that distance.

That is all to say that there might be a break-in period for some people before you’re comfortable taking it on a run that is farther than 4-5 miles.

The stack height of this shoe is 10mm. The heel stack is roughly 32mm and the forefoot stack is roughly 22mm. Some might say that this shoe fits heel strikers much better than forefoot strikers.

I’m more of a midfoot striker and didn’t have a huge issue with the shoe. It might have contributed to my feeling of this shoe not being great for slightly longer runs.

The outsole of the shoe is a good slab of rubber that covers all the contact points. It looks thicker and seemingly provides more coverage than previous versions. That might explain the slightly heavier weight of this shoe compared to the last version. The traction of the rubber is great. It handled wet runs, hill repeats on gravel, and grass pretty well.

Much like the review of the Assert 9, I don’t think this shoe is built for longer distance runners.

The cushioning and weight of the shoe just doesn’t fit that population. I loved this shoe for my lifting routine and agility drills.

It also did great for me when I traveled and wanted to only bring one pair of shoes for strength, running, walking, and doing things around town. It’s built for versatility.

Under Armour Charged Assert 10 Conclusions

Overall, this shoe is great for anyone looking for a multipurpose shoe.

While it’s not my first choice as a distance running shoe, it would be something I’d carry along during my travels if I never needed to do more than a few miles.

The cost of the shoe might be its biggest draw. While it retails at $75, I have seen coupon codes on the Under Armour website for 30-40% off.

This shoe will fit into my rotation during my gym sessions when I also might do a light run either as a warm-up or as part of the routine.