On Thursday, a shake-up in the athlete-sneaker world emerged when it was announced that Steph Curry and Under Armour had parted ways after 12 years.
The Baltimore-based brand and the greatest shooter in NBA history decided that it was time to head to different directions and so the next Under Armour created Curry shoe, the Curry 13, scheduled to be released in February, will be the last drop from the duo while merchandise will be produced until October 2026.
It will mark the end of a partnership that started in 2013 after Under Armour signed Curry away from Nike, a company he had been with for 4 years.
“Under Armour believed in me early in my career and gave me the space to build something much bigger and more impactful than a shoe. I’ll always be grateful for that.” said Curry in the release. “Curry Brand was created to change the game for good and over the past five years, we successfully changed the game for kids, for communities, and for basketball. What Curry Brand stands for, what I stand for and my commitment to that mission will never change, it’s only growing stronger. I’m excited for a future that’s focused on aggressive growth with a continued commitment to keep showing up for the next generation.”
Seven years after signing Curry to be the face of the company’s basketball line, the pair established its own Jordan Brand/Nike arrangement by launching the Curry Brand as a sub-branch of Under Armour.
In 2023, the 11x All-Star was named president of the sub-brand and it went on to sign young NBA stars in De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell.
Two years later, the brand is a free agent that will remain independent for the time being.
“It’s been an incredible privilege to work with Stephen, who as President of Curry Brand has been much more than an ambassador — he’s become a thoughtful and strategic business leader,” said Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. “Together with our teammates, he helped build something rare: a brand with credibility, community impact and product that performs at the highest level. For Under Armour, this moment is about discipline and focus on the core UA brand during a critical stage of our turnaround. And for Stephen, it’s the right moment to let what we created evolve on his terms. We’ll always be grateful for what he’s brought to the UA team.”
