Business Wars: Under Armour's Attack on Nike | Signature Sneakers | 3
Host: David Brown
Guest: Tim Newcomb (Sports tech & sneaker industry reporter)
Date: March 26, 2026
Episode Overview
This episode of Business Wars dives deep into the world of signature sneakers, focusing on Under Armour’s attempt to dethrone Nike, particularly through its high-profile, but ultimately fraught, partnership with NBA superstar Steph Curry. Host David Brown is joined by expert journalist Tim Newcomb to explore:
- The origins and evolution of the signature sneaker
- The business dynamics between athletes and brands
- Lessons learned from Steph Curry's rocky tenure with Under Armour
- The shifting power dynamics with the rise of global brands like Anta and On
- The future of sneaker endorsements and changing strategies among both legacy and challenger brands
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Birth and Cultural Rise of the Signature Sneaker
[04:56 - 08:35]
- The first true signature sneaker was the Converse Chuck Taylor, named after a former pro basketball player turned salesman.
“If they could put his name on the side of the sneaker, then it helped sales. So that’s how you got your first signature sneaker, the Chuck Taylor from Converse.” — Tim Newcomb [05:24]
- The 1960s–70s tennis boom catalyzed signature sneakers—think Adidas’ Stan Smith, Rod Laver models.
- Signature sneakers expanded marketing focus from teams to individuals, especially in tennis where player identity drove sales.
2. Endorsements vs. Signature Deals
[08:35 - 11:07]
- Signature deals are much higher stakes than typical endorsements, requiring R&D and marketing investments tailored to the individual athlete.
“A signature deal is bigger all the way around... a major investment for the brand.” — Tim Newcomb [08:50]
- If successful, they can elevate both player and brand (e.g., Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans); failure leaves brands with costly, underperforming products.
3. Cultural Impact: Transcending Sport
[09:53 - 11:07]
- The "holy grail" is when a sneaker breaks out of sport—worn for fashion, not just performance (e.g., Air Jordans, Chuck Taylors).
“If you can get your product to transcend the niche... you have now, you know, obviously broadened your consumer base exponentially.” — Tim Newcomb [10:19]
4. Athlete vs. Brand: Who Wins?
[11:07 - 12:28]
- Athlete involvement is crucial; Kobe Bryant exemplified using signature deals to build both shoe and personal brands.
"Kobe... saw this as an opportunity to partner with Nike and really create a product that was very much his.” — Tim Newcomb [11:23]
- Passive athletes, who just see it as a paycheck, rarely find the same long-term success.
5. Under Armour & Steph Curry: Lessons from a Failed Experiment
[12:28 - 15:59]
- Under Armour’s Curry partnership aimed to mutually boost both reputations but failed to gain the coveted “cultural cachet.”
“It never really caught on... being that it didn’t, that was maybe ultimately the downfall of it.” — Tim Newcomb [14:13]
- The lack of cultural relevance and coolness was identified as a fatal flaw in Under Armour’s approach.
6. Nike’s Revolutionary Approach—The Air Jordan Moment
[16:54 - 20:48]
- Unlike established brands, Nike made Jordan "the face," a rare move at the time.
“They offered Michael Jordan something that nobody else was really able to offer at the time, and that was being the face of a brand.” — Tim Newcomb [17:38]
- Nike took a big risk; had Jordan been merely average, it could have failed spectacularly.
7. The Sneakerhead Phenomenon & Storytelling in Sneakers
[20:48 - 22:02]
- Signature releases turned sneakers into collectible events, fueling "sneakerhead" culture and secondary markets.
- Storytelling became central—Kobe’s line, for example, each sneaker release narrating a chapter of his personal/professional journey.
“Kobe was very locked in to the story he was telling and the persona that he was presenting... the Mamba idea.” — Tim Newcomb [21:15]
8. Athletes as Superheroes/Cultural Figures
[22:02 - 23:52]
- Sneaker sales increasingly tied to the athlete’s personality and narrative; brands cultivate both "rebel" and "straight-laced" personas (e.g., Agassi vs. Sampras).
“Brands are going to look for every way to connect with a consumer.” — Tim Newcomb [24:03]
9. The Changing Dynamics: New Players and Athlete Power
[27:40 - 29:10]
- The rise of Anta and other international upstarts signals that star athletes may increasingly sign with non-traditional brands.
“It’s not that far-fetched to think that a star player is going to sign with a brand that isn’t Nike or Adidas...” — Tim Newcomb [29:10]
10. Lessons from Roger Federer’s Split with Nike
[30:49 - 34:30]
- Federer’s transition to Uniqlo (and a stake in On Running) showcased how elite athletes can leverage their status for unprecedented autonomy.
“It was actually the other way around. Nike didn’t re sign Roger. ...It obviously worked out exceedingly well for Roger.” — Tim Newcomb [30:55]
11. Future of Signature Deals and Athlete Autonomy
[34:30 - 36:57]
- Only generational icons can truly go independent; most athletes still need big brands to build global reach.
“You’re not going to have that with very many athletes... you will have had the help of brands we’ve all known the name of along the way.” — Tim Newcomb [35:03]
- Brands increasingly offer equity and creative input as part of athlete deals.
12. Competition & Emerging Brands
[37:04 - 37:24]
- Chinese brands (Anta, 361 Degrees, Peak) are leveraging basketball and celebrity to break into the global market.
13. Under Armour’s Struggles and Reinvention
[37:24 - 39:41]
- Overextension, persistent discounting, and lack of high-end cachet weakened Under Armour’s brand.
“They got too big too fast... they also had a kind of quality question mark. Not saying the product wasn’t quality, but it didn’t appear so...” — Tim Newcomb [37:39]
- The path forward involves “getting back to roots” by owning a specific athletic niche (performance gear for serious training and extreme weather).
14. The Challenge of the Running & Training Market
[39:41 - 40:43]
- Training/running gear is enormous and competitive—opportunity exists, but share is hard to win.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On the cultural aspiration of signature shoes:
“Everybody’s just hoping for that one hit... there’s really no way to manufacture it, otherwise everybody would be doing it all the time.”
— Tim Newcomb [15:16] -
On Jordan’s impact:
“There’s no way to replicate what happened in that situation.”
— Tim Newcomb [20:06] -
On Federer’s move to On:
“Let’s take this running shoe company and let’s add a tennis line. …And that’s how it all transpired.”
— Tim Newcomb [34:10] -
Fantasy sneaker pick:
“...modernize a retro. So let’s give us the technology of 2026 with the look of a [Rod] Laver.”
— Tim Newcomb [41:32]
Timestamps for Important Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | How signature sneakers began | 04:56–08:35 | | Signature vs. Endorsement deals | 08:35–11:07 | | Under Armour’s Curry experiment and lessons learned | 12:28–15:59 | | Nike & Jordan: The groundbreaker | 16:54–20:48 | | The rise of the sneakerhead and athlete storytelling | 20:48–22:02 | | New global players & athlete autonomy (Anta, On, Federer) | 27:40–34:30 | | The struggle to be “cool”: Under Armour’s missteps | 37:24–39:41 | | Under Armour’s new focus and market realities | 39:41–40:43 | | If you could own any sneaker... | 40:43–41:32 |
Final Notes
Tim Newcomb’s insider stories and historical context paint a rich portrait of a market that is as much about storytelling and culture as it is about high-performance products. The episode emphasizes just how much the identity and business savvy of both athlete and brand shape the winners in the global sneaker arena, and previews a future where even the biggest names look increasingly outside traditional partnerships for their next move.
This summary covers all major content discussions and industry insights from the episode, omitting ad breaks and closing credits. Ideal for listeners seeking a detailed recap with clear guidance on the episode’s most valuable segments.