Stephen Curry is selling a lot of sneakers right now. In fact, Curry’s second signature sneaker with Under Armour is on pace to outsell LeBron James’ 13th signature sneaker with Nike.
“It’s funny how everything changes in a moment,” said Peter Ruppe, Under Armour’s SVP of Footwear. “After last year’s All-Star game, Stephen Curry all of a sudden had a product that was on fire. Now Foot Locker is selling Under Armour product—like, ‘Give us more!’”
So what’s next for Curry and UA? It’s not the Curry Three (yet). It’s going to be the Curry 2.5, a sneaker that uses the tooling of the Curry Two, but with a modified upper.
Although the sneaker hasn’t been unveiled by the brand yet, Curry is already test-driving the sneaker in NBA games. He recently was spotted in “Dub Nation” and blacked out colorways on court.
Under Armour’s SVP of footwear Peter Ruppe confirms an official release of the shoe some time during the NBA Playoffs. Ruppe also gave a rough timeline on the next generation of Curry sneakers.
“Right now, we’re doing innovation for Curry Five. The Curry Four is in development and we’re just finishing Three,” he said, noting that the Three should be expected this fall, along with some ready-for-the-streets additions to the line.
Ruppe was mum on the specifics on the next signatures for Curry, but he did confirm that Under Armour is developing a basketball shoe with the Tech knit material found in the UA Slingshot—a new running silhouette that debuts this month.
“We’re looking the broader concept of automated upper construction—knitting, weaving, engraving,” he said. “We’ll use it within more explosive sports—like football and basketball.”
On the lifestyle front, Ruppe acknowledged that the brand has some ground to make up. Expect to see streetwear versions of the UA Curry line, with lux materials like leather, suede and nubuck, by the end of 2016.
“We’re addressing it,” he said. “We’re building product lines today and are in the process of having dedicated teams just to focus on lifestyle.”
