Under Armour Introduces Spine Footwear Line

With minimalist footwear dominating the running conversation these days, it's easy to forget about athletes who don't wish to adopt to this kind of lifestyle yet still need a great running shoe. But Under Armour hasn't.  Committed to their mission of bettering athletes through the relentless pursuit of innovation, UA will introduce the Spine RPM footwear line, available in stores July 9.

Spine, aptly named for a responsive inner core that's inspired by the function of the human spine, is designed to be lightweight and provide strong foot support for athletes who use running as an integral component of training. The shoe uses revolutionary Micro G foam for flexibility and a Spine Cage in the sole to keep the foot locked in place.

The shoe will launch in conjunction with an extensive, integrated advertising campaign, titled "This is How We Run." The campaign will launch across TV, print, digital, and social channels and will include appearances by world famous athletes and shoe spokespersons Tom Brady, Lindsey Vonn, Cam Newton and Kemba Walker. Spine invites all athletes, not just hard core runners, to join the Under Armour family. 

 

Not surprisingly, "This is How We Run" is expected to UA's biggest marketing push to date. In what UA CEO Kevin Plank calls a "transformative moment for the brand and for the performance footwear landscape," the launch could potentially shift some focus away from the barefoot running movement and revisit the general athlete.  According to UA executives, the next move will be to extend the Spine prototype into baseball, basketball, and football shoes.