Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors wore the brightly colored Under Armour UA Curry One when he won the Foot Locker 3-Point Contest during the NBA All-Star Weekend back on Feb. 14. Now a version of those shoes will be available to both basketball fans and sneakerheads this weekend.
According to a blog post from Foot Locker, the exclusive shoes will only be available in its shops and online website starting on Saturday at 10 a.m. EST for $120. Although the shoe model itself was released last month, this version used the candy colors of lime (green), cherry (red), lemon (yellow), orange and white.
"Stephen Curry does have a weakness...off the court," Foot Locker wrote in its ad for the shoes. "It's tough to say no to candy. This candy-inspired shoe was also the one he wore while taking home the Foot Locker 3 Point Contest title."
Tim Newcomb of Sports Illustrated reported that it was Curry's first signature shoe for Under Armour, a Baltimore-based shoe and apparel manufacturer. He originally signed on with the company back in 2013.
"To be part of this process and to see the Curry One come to life is a dream come true," Curry said.
According to Newcomb, the Curry One is based on shoes that Curry previously wore, which included Under Armour's ClutchFit Drive and the Anatomix Spawn 2. The legacy of those shoes is seen in the Curry One through "its precise lines and distinct collar shape."
Dave Dombrow, Under Armour's footwear vice president and creative director, told Newcomb that those shoes helped him learn "a ton" in developing the Curry One.
"It gave us a complete baseline," Dombrow said. "We were having such good response, especially from the ClutchFit shoe, that we took measurements down to the millimeter at the width in the forefoot and height on cushioning."
Newcomb explained the two technological features that Under Armour included in the Curry One.
"New 'charged cushioning' will absorb impact and convert it into a responsive burst of explosiveness," Newcomb wrote. "The 'adaptive foam' plays soft under low forces and responsive under high forces, the 'holy grail of what you are looking for in cushioning,' Dombrow says."
According to Newcomb, Under Armour worked with Dow to create four distinct polymers. In addition, the Curry One used a new upper foot technology known as Anafoam.
"The company took its stretch textile and co-molded it with a foam compound for a lightweight piece that anatomically forms to the foot," Newcomb wrote.
Newcomb added that the Curry One also borrowed technology from previous Under Armour shoes. It included "a heel counter to reduce sliding, a stability shank in the midfoot, a padded mesh tongue with synthetic suede for protection and breathability and a multi-directional herringbone outsole pattern for traction."
The original pattern of the Curry One, according to Newcomb, had the SC30 combination mark, which tied to the point guard's number and the number that his father, Dell Curry, wore during his 16-year basketball career. Its tongue even had the quote "I can do all things," a Biblical reference to Philippians 4:13, which states "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
"I never actually looked at it as a Bible verse," Dombrow said. "It harkens back to his belief that he can go beyond and do something greater, go further and silence the doubters."
Dombrow added that he placed "4:13" on the lace loop at the bottom of the tongue.
"Because he wrote it on, it was pretty cool to incorporate on some of the shoes," Dombrow said.
In an ironic twist, Darren Rovell of ESPN reported that two pairs of Curry's "Candy Reign" shoes were stolen before he could play in the NBA's All-Star competitions on Feb. 14. However, Under Armour was notified in time to send him replacement pairs of shoes that had the same design.
"In the 3-Point Contest, Curry wore the 'Candy Reign' colorway, inspired by his love of Sour Patch Kids," Rovell wrote.
Rovell reported that Curry also wrote on his shoes the name of Deah Shaddy Barakat, who was killed in a triple homicide in Chapel Hill, N.C.
"Once I got to know who Deah was as a person and the stories that everybody was telling about him, it only seemed right to honor him and his family and let them know people were thinking about them, they're not alone and hopefully to give them some kind of peace and comfort," Curry said after winning the 3-Point Contest on Feb. 14. "He was a special guy. I just did my little part to shed that light toward him."
The Under Armour Curry One "Candy Reign" shoes are available at select Foot Locker retailers, which can be found in its "Launch Locator" website.
