Under Armour’s signature shoe gets delayed

Bloomberg

The latest installment of Under Armour Inc.’s best-selling sneaker is expected to be late hitting stores, dealing a blow to an athletic brand that’s trying to bounce back from sputtering growth.
The adult version of the shoe—known as the Curry 4—was slated to hit stores last week. But Foot Locker Inc., Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc. and Hibbett Sports Inc. are only allowing customers to order it with a shipping date of November 18,
according to Sam Poser, an analyst at Susquehanna Financial Group.
“That’s not good news,” he said in a report. “Retailers with whom we have
spoken are not happy and concerned that, when the Curry 4 does arrive, the target customer will have already moved on to other things.”
The Curry 4, which is promoted by NBA superstar Steph Curry, launched a black-and-white version recently, but only kids sizes were available for purchase at third-party retailers. The adult version was only available for pre-order, with a shipping date of November 18.
Under Armour declined to comment.
The Curry franchise is the centerpiece of Under Armour’s push into sneakers, but the momentum of the brand has slowed over the past year.
The company’s footwear sales fell 2 percent in the second quarter. Under Armour, based in Baltimore, reports third-quarter results on October 31.
“Disappointing revenue performance
of the Curry 4 would be a major setback
for Under Armour’s footwear plans,”
Poser said.
Under Armour sent out a marketing email touting the release of the Curry 4. A link in it directed recipients to Under
Armour’s website, where the adult shoe was listed as being sold out.
The site later said the pre-order was sold out, and the next release would be on November 11.