Curry Brand Introduces Speed that Scares with the Fox 1 (underarmour.com)
Sub-brands exist throughout the sneaker industry. However, the only athlete to become a brand capable of existing outside of the parent company is Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand. Over the years I’ve made countless discussions on why Kobe, under Nike, should have been the next sub-brand to create signature models for athletes:
The Only Player Worthy of a Signature Right Now is Ja Morant and it Should be with Kobe
After Kobe died, Nike and the estate of Kobe Bryant had a brief breakup. This disrupted what I saw as a natural pattern for Kobe to become Jordan-like within the Nike business. Kobe had loyal NBA athletes rocking his sneakers and they all seemed like logical options for signature drops to model Jordan Brand’s distribution of Westbrook’s Why Not signatures, Chris Paul and Melo and the current roster of Jordan Brand athletes in Luka, Zion and Tatum.
Whether it was a financial move, or miscalculation as Nike and the Kobe Bryant estate reconnected, instead of Nike delivering Kobe signature models to Ja and Sabrina, both athletes were given take down models directly influenced by the Kobe aesthetics:
LeBron, with over 20 models and a variety of takedown sneakers in his signature line, is active and performing well, but it’s Curry who has followed Michael Jordan and is delivering the next signature model for a sub-brand based on a professional athlete in any sport. This is an important play for Under Armour as it solidifies the brand’s investment into Steph Curry and shows other athletes Under Armour understands rewarding a legacy defining career beyond just a signature sneaker.
The Curry Fox 1 Arrives
Under Armour is often overlooked as a leader in basketball. The reality is the there are only three companies truly competitive in the basketball arena, Nike/Jordan Brand, adidas and Under Armour. These three brands dominate youth basketball with their own leagues built for recruitment (UA Association, Nike EYBL and adidas Gauntlet). They are the only brands competing for NCAA Championships each year and while the NBA has countless brands making lanes, startups like HOLO, traditional players like Puma and New Balance, and international brands like 361, Li Ning and Anta, from youth to professional hoops, there are only three brands truly being represented.
Under Armour’s decision to spin-off Curry into a standalone brand shows that the company realizes a more diversified product mix could finally break them through as a true power in hoops vs just being the 3rd player by default. This is important considering how sneaker sales are no longer shaped by basketball as they were when Nike decided to spin Jordan into a standalone brand. This is a more difficult business environment where basketball sneakers don’t really crossover into casual wear. The adidas AE1 won Sneaker of the Year, according to Complex, but it was the only hoops sneaker to make the jump into the mainstream.
The Fox 1 launches in the ‘Happy Fox Day’ colorway on December 6, 2024. Will it do what the adidas AE1 has done? Probably not, but for Under Armour and Curry Brand it creates a completely different dialogue around the companies. Steph Curry is at the end of his career, although the Warriors look like they may be fighting for another championship. In basketball, Under Armour has been very patient about signing athletes. The only other signature athlete they signed in the NBA was Embiid and the brand smartly parted ways with the one-time MVP. Embiid now wears Skechers. D-Fox is a dynamic player with a long career ahead of him, the release of Fox 1 allows Under Armour to isolate basketball within the Curry Brand which helps the company to potentially focus on other sports where the need for growth is more important.
Under Armour’s Investment into Pro Track and Field Isn’t Trickling Down to Youth Track
Under Armour tends to struggle in the footwear category. Basketball is now seasonal and rooted in performance vs casual. If Under Armour attempts to focus on basketball by looking to add more signature athletes, the brand could be wasting money. If basketball is categorized under Curry Brand and signature athletes rise from that segment, the business is more efficient and concise giving Under Armour the ability to place energy in footwear into running; a category experiencing a considerable boom for training and for casual wear. This doesn’t mean the brand is done making basketball shoes, quite to the contrary, the emphasis on Curry simply allows for a more direct approach.
During the track and field season it was obvious UA was taking running very seriously. The brand signed/sponsored a bevy of athletes, but they completely overlooked the youth level. The brand has some holes in their running strategy and while basketball remains the most visible sport in footwear, running is and will always be where a brand needs to win to grow. In a strange way the Curry Fox 1 may help the UA Dark Sky Distance team and UA Running. Under Armour doesn’t have to attempt to be everything. They can now be a focused running brand with a shining star in Curry Brand for basketball. Diversification is a superpower.