Introducing Curry 7 October 2019

10.24.2019

New season, new teammates, new city, same conversation: can Stephen Curry yet again prove himself on-court and lead his team to glory?

As his 11th year in the league kicks off, Stephen has made one thing clear - he isn’t slowing down. Last season, he exceeded his predicted performance by 27%, broke his own 2015-16 season record of 3 Point Field Goals Made Per Game (5.13), and set personal career highs in Playoff Minutes Played (846) and Playoff Points Scored (620) last season.

As the seasons continue to pass, Stephen only gets better. The doubt feels more palpable this time of year, but it’s only more fuel for the fire – Stephen stands to inspire other underrated athletes around the world each and every time he steps onto the court.

We are constantly analyzing data around Stephen’s game and use those insights to inform his footwear each season. We have to design a shoe that will keep Stephen on the court all season long, and enable him to break his own records year after year. A shoe that will match his innovative game and power athletes around the world.

- Paul Winsper, Under Armour VP of Athlete Performance

As Stephen continues to evolve, Under Armour is by his side. While developing Stephen’s seventh signature shoe, the UA design team challenged themselves to match his innovative style of play and make all players better on-court. What’s inside? Take a look.

UA HOVR™ + Micro G® + Flexible Plate = Go Farther, Faster and Longer

Stephen has changed the game of basketball with his deep shot, but he also is one of the league’s best and most efficient rim finishers, ranking 5th league-wide in Points Scored Per Drive to the Rim (while ceding at least six inches and 50 pounds to the rest of that list). Accordingly, the UA design team took the data from Stephen’s one of-a-kind game and started working from the inside out when ideating on the Curry 7. The data pointed to a need for a system that would be as dynamic as Stephen’s on-court play, but adaptable to any athlete striving to get better. Something that would enable any athlete in the shoe to cover more ground, respond faster and stay quicker longer. The result is the unique combination of two proprietary and acclaimed Under Armour foam technologies – UA HOVR™ and Micro G®.

UA HOVR is a celebrated foam technology focused on energy return, absorbing and returning impact so players can stay fresh all game long. Micro G, featured in the first UA footwear Stephen wore back in 2013, keeps footwork compact and explosive via a firm, responsive foam in the forefoot, enabling players to change direction instantly.

A flexible plate acts as a moderator, separating the UA HOVR and Micro G to allow the properties of each to reach optimal performance. The plate adds support and stability to every move, and the net result is a system that makes players quicker on their feet so they can put more points on the board.

Like a lot of players, I’m always working on movement and fluidity, my range of motion, and how I can be more efficient with my footwork and balance. Key for me when we were building the Curry 7 was the combination of energy return from UA HOVR and responsiveness underfoot for quickness on-court.

- Stephen Curry

Adaptive Traction = Grip in Any Direction

Today’s game has seen Stephen double and even even triple-teamed on-court, making every second count to get a shot off. To help maximize Stephen’s opportunities, Under Armour again looked to deliver optimal traction to minimize the shooter’s response time. The Curry 7 outsole features a herringbone-patterned traction system with variable heights using three layers of radial traction. This system creates incremental levels of grip depending upon the force applied, while simultaneously flexing with the athlete’s every move. Whether you are Stephen Curry, trying to thread through some of the tightest defenses in the NBA, or a recreational player looking for consistent traction on any surface, the Curry 7 delivers.

The assist from the Curry 7 to help me be more explosive, more powerful and to have a quicker reaction time off of the ground is important as I look ahead to the new season, and is intuitive enough to help any basketball player looking for best-in-class responsiveness and stability from their footwear.

- Stephen Curry

Upper Reinforcement = Comfort, Stability and Mobility

Stephen’s signature highlight might be an ice cold 28 foot three, but it’s his movement for all 40 plus minutes a night that really drive opponents crazy. It’s a game of catch-me-if-you-can with Stephen as he sprints and feints over and under opponents, setting and slipping past screens with surgical precision.

The UA design team used translucent layering application to building the upper of the Curry 7, an innovative solve to enhance the basketball player’s range of movement. In the forefoot, textile material offers breathability and flexibility. In the midfoot - where most of the TPU skin and reinforcements are located - structure, support and lockdown are the focus. And in the collar and heel areas, where foam padding is located, comfort is crucial to keep athletes on their game all night long.

We designed the Curry 7 with layers and really obsessed over the details to address the fit and showcase the technology. The result is a sleek, minimal design that features lightweight materials. The Curry 7 is giving Stephen all he needs on-court. Athletes can expect to benefit from zonal reinforcement for stability and mobility, a flex plate that offers a quicker reaction time off the ground and a return on the power from the distance and minutes they clock on-court.

- Leon Gu, Under Armour Design Team, Basketball Footwear

Curry 7 Product DNA

UA HOVR™ technology returns energy to get you where you're going faster.
Micro G® cushioning keeps your first step and every cut more explosive.
Flexible Plate adds support and stability to every move.
The Upper features a translucent layering application of synthetic leather, mesh and TPU skins, offering reinforcement in zonal areas for comfort, stability and mobility.
The flexible plate in the midsole is inspired by the plate often found in a track and field spike, which allows a runner to stay on the balls of their feet - which is how Stephen prefers to play - in order to remain explosive in a variety of movements.
An Internal Counter lining package allows for immediate step-in comfort and stability.
A Decoupled Heel allows for more natural motion to stabilize the foot. If you’re stable, you can move.
The Pull Tab features three animal characters representing Stephen’s young children, a unicorn for Riley, butterfly for Ryan and wolf for Canon.