In 1984, the small brand NIKE signed "Michael Jordan", who was still the star of college basketball hope at that time. At that time, the dominant players in the American sports market were adidas and Reebok.

But the story that followed was a bit cruel. Jordan quickly grew into the god of basketball. Nike used Jordan to win the US market in one fell swoop, quickly pulling adidas from its dominance that it had held for decades. .

One year before Jordan joined the NBA, Nike's total revenue in 1983 was less than $900,000. Today, NIKE is already a giant. Its high-end basketball shoe series Jordan Brand generates billions of dollars in annual revenue and has become a full-fledged "cash cow."

Surprisingly, Nike is now being forced into a dilemma by Under Armor in the same way. It is a pity that the director of all this can still be said to be NIKE.

In the eyes of the manager, Under Armor is worthy of learning from all Chinese brands such as Anta and Peak that are entering the NBA. It has the "background" of all small and medium-sized brands:

1. It When it comes to market segmentation, the market size is really not big.

2. It stands in the fiercely competitive Red Sea market and used to be like a loser.

3. Its marketing funds are small, and it can even only hire one star to endorse it.

However, it successfully defeated adidas in the US market, took second place, and began to challenge NIKE's 30-year leading position.

Luck is important, but grasping luck is even more important

Under Armor's path to success is simply like a "beautiful accident." Because the only basketball star it signed was abandoned by its competitor Nike!

Curry has been a contract player with Nike for the first four years of his career. However, because Curry was seriously underestimated by NIKE due to injuries, NIKE was not very enthusiastic when renewing his contract.

When Under Armor came to the door, it was just a niche brand producing tights. It only accounted for 0.35% of the domestic basketball shoe market in the United States, while its competitors Nike and its sub-brands (Jordan Brand, Converse's market share reached a dominant level of 92.6.

Now it seems that Under Armor’s investment in Curry can be called one of the best venture investments in the past decade.

According to Under Armor’s financial report, with the help of Curry, its revenue achieved a year-on-year growth of 28.5%, an increase of more than 20% for 21 consecutive quarters, and its e-commerce website traffic increased by 300% a year!

Among them, the hot sales of Curry's first-generation boots brought the sales of footwear to 153.6 million US dollars, a sharp increase of 40.2% compared with the same period last year. At the same time, Under Armor has planned to build a $1 billion basketball brand around Curry, just like Jordan is to Nike. It is obvious that Under Armor started from signing Curry and continued to follow Curry's popular path and tailor-made a brand offensive strategy for him.

Creating a comprehensive marketing brand for football stars has become a common strategy for sports brands. Nowadays, Chinese brands such as Anta and Peak are also harvesting stars in the NBA. For example, during this year's NBA All-Star Game in Toronto, when Curry's teammate Thompson surpassed teammate Curry, Rockets star Harden and others to win the three-point shooting contest, Anta It has also received good exposure on social networks, but unfortunately, Anta has not laid out a deeper and broader brand strategy for it.

The Internet makes fans more fanatical

For sports brands, the star endorsement model has become a necessary marketing tool since Jordan. The huge economic value of stars makes sports brands flock to it.

Today Curry has become the most talked-about player in the NBA. Every kid on the street in the United States wants to play like Curry. He led the Golden State Warriors to break records on the court, and It is extremely possible to break the Bulls' best record of 72 wins and 10 losses in the Jordan era.

Therefore, when the news of Curry's renewal of Under Armour's contract was announced, Under Armour's stock price immediately hit a record high, once reaching an all-time high of $103.56, and the final closing price was $103.36, an increase of 4.74.

In the Internet age, every move of a celebrity is more topical and communicative than it was more than 30 years ago. And children who do not have a complete world view perform even better when their worship of celebrities is translated into economic benefits. On social networks, you can see that every Weibo post by tfboys will be forwarded tens of thousands of times, and an ordinary picture of Korean star Quan Zhilong will have tens of thousands of comments.

In such an environment, the spread of fans makes the star effect more powerful, which is why sports brands continue to increase investment in celebrities.

It was precisely after feeling the threat that Nike became vigilant and increased the contract size of its veteran stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant. If not, the Adidas in the U.S. market today may be the Nike of tomorrow.

The first reaction when talking about Under Armor sneakers - expensive!

Under Armor's water depth is true. Curry's latest 5th generation boots, the starting price of Hupu is 699 yuan a pair. Recall that the other Splash Brothers, Clay Thomson's new The Thompson 3rd generation, the most expensive finals color pair (except, of course, the limited edition pair for Thompson dog fans) is only priced at 599. What is the concept? Curry’s sneakers, Under Armor’s cheapest, Under Armor Curry 3, are also priced at 499, so the Splash Brothers’ shoes are truly “one in the sky and one on the ground.”

Under Armor has many basketball shoe series. In addition to the series endorsed by Curry, which we are most familiar with, there are also HOYR, Spine, etc. Here, we only discuss Curry’s Under Armor sneakers.

Curry's sneakers have one unique characteristic to this day - they have never been low-top shoes, because everyone knows that Curry's ankle is a major obstacle to further progress in his career. This season, Curry only played 51 games in total due to multiple ankle injuries. Curry missed 6 games in the playoffs, so generally speaking, Curry's sneakers are very suitable for us ordinary people. Those who play ball have old injuries on their ankles.

Of course, generally speaking, when looking at sneakers, you also need to look at technology. The blessing of technology directly functions in various aspects such as cushioning, anti-torsion, and packaging. Of course, it is ultimately to prevent some unexpected situations, such as injuries. Illness, loss of shoes, technical deformation of players due to shoe problems, etc. So what are the main technologies in Under Armor sneakers?

In fact, Under Armor started out as a sportswear manufacturer. If you want to talk about Under Armor’s real black technology, it is probably in the area of ??heat dissipation, such as HeatGear thermal equipment, Cold Gear cold equipment, and sportswear. What I have to mention about shoes is Performance DNA technology. Of course, refer to Adidas’ Boost and Bounce; Li Ning’s Cloud, Nike’s Zoom Max, etc. Basketball shoes will have more cushioning technology. In this part, Under Armor’s elastic chassis technology and four-dimensional air cushion are their latest innovations in recent years. 2 major breakthroughs, of course, compared to Adinaike, they are still inferior.

So let’s summarize my personal views on Curry’s Under Armor sneakers: they are very similar to China’s Xiaomi, which focuses on brand marketing and viral communication. Curry helped a lot in bringing up basketball shoes. (Curry’s sneaker income last year was 12 million, which is an astonishing number). In general, the future of Under Armor basketball shoes does not seem to be long-term at present. Although it is rumored that it has surpassed Lardy in the US market, the lack of leading technology is indeed Under Armor's flaw. In the future, Under Armor should not continue to focus on brand marketing strategies. It needs to have more "ingenuity" and strive to become the "Huawei" of sneakers.

(I would like to ask Curry fan Xiao Z to comment on this question.)

Not great, the appearance is quite cool and the quality is average.

At its price point, there are plenty of choices, and UA is not a cost-effective choice.

I didn’t wear UA because of Curry. I saw Jennings wearing Under Armor four or five years ago. I thought it was cool, so I bought it. It cost more than 800, which was very expensive.

Curry's shoes may be better for shooters - I'm talking about shooters who claim to be less mobile on the field, not shooters like Hamilton who really do a lot of counter-running.

Why do you say that?

Aside from the trivial matter that the toe mesh is prone to wrinkles, the biggest problem with Curry's shoes is that they are not durable. The probability of shoe soles coming off or being punctured is very high, and many students have reported this.

But it’s not without its advantages, at least it looks good (except for the LOGO).

Most people who buy UA Curry shoes now can be said to have "faith". This is not because Curry is not as popular as it was two years ago, and now Under Armor's performance has also dropped significantly. When Curry is cool in two years, Under Armor will be cool too. Iverson's Reebok shoes were re-enacted in various ways. Didn't Iverson become cool after his retirement? After watching the NBA for so many years, I have experienced this kind of thing a lot. If the money is not spent, Curry will eventually become a player who is said to be "overrated" by a bunch of scumbags.

On the other hand, Nike and Adidas have many stars under their brands, and there will always be stars that sell well regardless of generation. Moreover, if you have the money to buy UA Under Armor, Nike and Adidas, there are really many choices, both in terms of quality and star level. Although I am a Curry fan, I will tell you this truthfully. The main reason is that I feel that UA's shoes are not worthy of its price.

With all due respect, most of Under Armor's shoes have insufficient technological content, lack of sincerity, and extremely low cost performance. If their spokesperson was not Curry, who is at his peak, their sales of sneakers would be greatly reduced. In other words, Under Armor's basketball shoe field is solely supported by Curry.

Unlike Nike, a brand that relied on basketball shoes to make a name for itself, Under Armor, which was founded in 1996, initially made its name through tights. This kind of close-fitting clothing made of polyester fiber and spandex as the main fabric is lightweight, wicks away sweat, can keep muscles active during exercise, and provides athletes with good protection and comfort. If you have a fitness habit, it should not be difficult to find that many people wear Under Armour's tights for exercise, and the public's acceptance is very high.

When Curry was not as popular as he is now, Nike was very cold to him. The contract offered was very small and did not include signature sneakers. At this time, Under Armor offered Curry an olive branch. , in 2015, the Golden State Warriors began to rank No. 1 in the league, and star Curry's attention also increased. Under Armor took advantage of Curry's gust of wind.

At this time, Under Armor's unprofessionalism in basketball became apparent. Many brands use a lot of technology when making sneakers to ensure the professionalism and durability of the sneakers, such as Nike's famous Zoom air cushion, lunar material Adidas' bounce and boost, and even Li Ning's cloud midsole, BC cushioning, etc. wait. But the configuration used by Under Armor on Curry's signature shoes can be described as pitiful. Take the Curry 4 generation as an example. Some media took apart the shoes and found that there is no technology in the midsole, just a simple EVA material filling. In other words, except for the appearance and brand, there is no difference between this pair of shoes and Hongxing Erke 361 Degree, etc. You must know that this is a pair of shoes with a retail price of more than 1,000 yuan...,

In short, if You are an absolute fan of Curry. There is no problem in spending money to buy this pair of shoes for your favorite star. After all, these are Curry's signature shoes and the same style that Curry wears. But if you are pursuing cost-effectiveness and performance, I suggest switching to Nike or Adidas, which are in the same price range and are better.

Haha, why is this brand so popular? I feel like when someone is famous, a hero should never ask where he came from! At that time, Li Ning believed that Anta was not worth mentioning, and even its own advertising ideas were directly "plagiarized."

For example, Li Ning's slogan is "I exercise·I exist", Anta's slogan is "I choose·I like", and Peak's slogan is "I can, I have unlimited possibilities"! But inadvertently, Anta became the boss, and Peak's basketball shoes are also very popular. The same is true for Under Armor. This company used to produce sports tights, but over the years it has gradually become stronger and also has basketball shoes. And they just signed Curry, a rising star in the NBA. With Curry's bravery, more people know that Under Armor's shoes are also good.

Subsequently, Under Armor's global strategy began to be implemented, so it was unstoppable... I think Under Armor was the Anta of the United States back then, and now Nike also knows that small people also have inspirational legends. In fact, Under Armor and Curry are complementary to each other. It feels like Under Armor is only possible because of Curry. There is an inevitable connection between them in our minds. Like between Jordan and Nike.

In addition, when it comes to sneakers, they all say they are high-tech, but in general, high-end sneakers feel the same. Sometimes we are just obsessed with a certain brand!

Speaking of UA’s basketball shoes, I personally think they are a little better than domestic Anta, but a little worse than Li Ning. As for Nike and Adibi, it’s a shame! Basketball shoes: Nike is the first choice, followed by Li Ning and Adidas! UA is an American brand. It makes tights well and seems to have a bit of black technology. The main reason why sneakers have become so popular in the past two years is because they had the foresight to sign Curry as an endorser. Curry has been the MVP for two consecutive regular seasons, including the past two years. One of the most popular stars in the league is mainly due to Curry’s endorsement bonus. Basketball shoes are really not that good. . . Regardless of whether basketball shoes are on the outfield or in the court, Nike's first choice, Kobe series, PG series, including Irving's shoes are all more practical shoes. Nike is just a bit premium. Again, for the same price, Nike is the first choice! Li Ning's basketball shoes have also developed well in recent years, and Li Ning is the first choice for mid-to-low-end shoes!

Under Armor specializes in yoga products and is about to go bankrupt. Fortunately, Curry was signed. As the saying goes, a star saved a brand. It only took two short days to go from losing money to making huge profits. Years of time! Under Armor's basketball shoes and outdoor products started relatively late, and they also have their own technology research and development! Measure it for yourself

As a basketball shoe fan, I personally think that ua’s basketball shoes are really not that good. To put it simply, ua does not have the core technology of basketball shoes, which is the midsole cushioning technology. With Curry Take the series as an example. I don’t know how the Curry 5 performs, but the midsole of the Curry 4 is very brick-like, and the forefoot is harder than the Irving series. In other words, UA’s basketball shoes have no midsole technology at all, and the price is still very high. It’s expensive. Generally, there are no discounts at offline counters all year round. Sometimes they are sold at 50% off on Tmall. Previously, the low-top version of Curry 4 was sold at 50% off on Tmall during 618. However, I personally think that despite the discount, the price-performance ratio is still too low. If you like Curry, then There is nothing wrong with buying basketball shoes from UA. This is the star effect. If you don't like Curry, then don't buy it. Anta is better than him. Anta's newly launched Yukong series feels good on the feet, although it has the taste of a copycat. If you want to buy basketball shoes, you’d better look at Nike and Adidas. Both of them have their own midsole technology, otherwise they wouldn’t be the two largest sports brands. Moreover, Nike and Adidas have rich product lines to choose from. They are more versatile, ranging from low-end shoes priced at 300 to 400 yuan to high-end signature shoes priced at 1,000 yuan and up. Nike's Durant signature shoes are priced at 1,299, which is the same price as Curry's signature shoes, but when you wear the Durant 10th generation and Curry 4th generation released in the same year, you will find that Under Armor The basketball shoes of Under Armor are garbage, which is why Under Armor has been losing money year after year. It does not have the life of the princess, but it has the disease of the princess.

Under Armor is a well-known sports brand in the United States and is relatively famous around the world. But Nike, also an American brand, is even better in terms of popularity.

The quality of Under Armor sneakers is generally very good. The crystal soles of the soles are not wear-resistant and are very suitable for cement floors. However, the shortcomings are also obvious, that is, there are fewer styles and more guard shoes. , the breathability is also relatively average. Nike has more styles and types of sneakers for players to choose from.

In terms of technology, Under Armor has brand-new HOVR technology to make sneaker cushioning more comfortable. Nike, on the other hand, has powerful cushioning technologies such as zoom and air max. In this regard, Nike is still better.

In terms of the professionalism and functionality of sports equipment, Nike is not as good as Under Armor. As a sports brand, Under Armor is professional and does not use too many tricks to cater to the market. Therefore, Will be liked by many professional athletes.

Finally, when it comes to shoes, benevolent people have different opinions. Just buy whichever pair you think is comfortable.

The shoes are good but not worthy of the price