No worse when new than any other clinchers I've used. The difference is, since you never flat, they don't get "loosened up" from regular removal/reinstallation the way conventional clinchers do, so when you finally do change them after ~5,000 miles they're just as hard to take off as a brand new tire!

Also note, there's a difference between Armadillo Elites and regular Armadillos. I've never tried the latter, but word on the street is that they're even less flat-prone than the Elites because they have a thicker puncture-proof sidewall...but that makes them a real bear to get on/off the rim. Plus they apparently ride like complete schidt (The Elites only ride like incomplete schidt, which for my purposes is perfectly acceptable.)