Sports outfitter Under Armour is looking to tap into the lifestyle market with the release of the “Curry 1 Lux.”
The shoe company has grabbed perhaps its most recognizable athlete in Stephen Curry and made him the face of this new venture.
“Performance gets elevated as an expression for street culture,” Under Armour Vice President of Footwear Peter Ruppe told SI.com.
“I think for us, where we are in our maturity in footwear, it is time for us to compete in that broader footwear market.”
The Curry Lux is a re-finishing of the Curry One, a shoe that was a sudden hit — perhaps so sudden that the company did not get to fully exploit its popularity before the next release.
“The Curry One was such a sudden hit for us, but it didn’t get much penetration,” Ruppe said. “We didn’t sell that many of those and the market hasn’t experienced this shoe as much as we would like it to.”
This off-court model boasts a different palette of colors, aiming for more earthy, urban styles that the Golden State Warriors sharpshooter would usually wear when out and about.
The brand has definitely put strong accents of black in this iteration, often combining materials for a different look.
The new materials include nubuck leather, split leather, full-grain leather and suede.
“Everybody really loves a beautiful leather shoe and we wanted to bring that in here,” Ruppe said. “We will be pivoting and doing a couple of minor adjustments to create a slightly different language with it. We will do some elevated things on branding and pattern work to keep it fresh.”
Since Curry's rise to stardom, everything he touches has turned into gold for Under Armour, which leaves no surprise as to why he headlines this new line.
“We want him to tap into everything we do that carries his mark, his identity in any way,” Ruppe added. “He is really enjoying it.”
After the brutal reception of his Curry 2 Low Chef shoes, the company has aimed for a more straight forward approach with black, white and gray colors that will go with any outfit. Simplistic, yet elevated, according to Ruppe.
“With the first iteration we wanted to be able to be pretty straight up with what is happening on trend,” he said.
“Hitting on the wearable colors, playing into current trends in the market, but also making it a really simple thing with versatile colorways guys would be attracted to.”
The Curry 1 Lux are available in sports retailers around the country, starting at $150.00 MSRP.
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