Under Armour's Attack on Nike | Signature Sneakers
3/26/202642 min
When Michael Jordan signed with an upstart running shoe company called Nike in the 1980s, it revolutionized the signature sneaker landscape and made Nike the brand to beat. Under Armour made a similar play signing Steph Curry in 2013. But it didn’t pan out quite the way they hoped. Still, nowadays it seems like every star athlete needs a signature line. Tim Newcomb is a sneaker and sports tech reporter whose work has appeared in Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Esquire and more. He's breaking down the rise of the signature shoe from Chuck Taylors in the 1920s to Kobe Bryant’s an...
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First 90 secondsDavid Brown· Host0:00
Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of Business Wars ad free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app. [dramatic music] From Audible Originals, I'm David Brown, and this is Business Wars. [dramatic music] Back in the 1980s when Michael Jordan signed a lifetime deal with an upstart running shoe brand called Nike, choosing them over established footwear giants like Converse and Adidas, that revolutionized the signature sneaker landscape and catapulted Nike to the top of the marketplace. Well, Under Armour made a similar play signing Steph Curry in 2013 with, uh, let's say mixed results. But one thing is clear, nowadays every star athlete needs a signature line from shoes to apparel and athleisure. And with the rise of newer international brands like On and Anta, athletes have more choice than ever when it comes to finding the perfect fit for their shoe deal. The jury's still out on whether the Nikes and Adidases of the world are feeling the heat. Here to unpack, or should I say unbox all that, is sneaker and sports tech