Chicago’s Magnificent Mile has a new tenant in Under Armour. The performance footwear and apparel company opened its first Chicago Brand House on Friday, offering Chicagoans its full range of men’s, women’s and children’s product lines.
In addition to apparel and footwear, the two-story, nearly 30,000-square-foot store will house specialized shops for UA Hunt and UA Fish, featuring the most technical gear Under Armour offers in these categories. The store will also contain the brand’s first-ever wearables bar, with a range of popular fitness devices from Garmin, Pebble and Misfit that support UA Record, Under Armour’s digital health and fitness network.
“Opening a Brand House on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile allows us to establish Under Armour’s presence in one of the most vibrant and iconic shopping destinations around the globe,” said Susie McCabe, Under Armour senior vice president of global retail. “The Under Armour Chicago Brand House will be our largest retail location in the world, highlighting our commitment to innovation while providing consumers with an elevated experience when shopping for apparel and footwear, as well as digital devices and wearables.”
Under Armour has successfully rolled out Brand Houses in other cities, including New York City’s Soho neighborhood, its hometown of Baltimore and in McLean, Virginia. To connect with its new clientele, the Chicago store will offer localized Chicago apparel that celebrates the city’s history in both sports, including gear from its partners Chicago Cubs, University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University.
The company also announced that one if its original founders, Kip Fulks, has been named president of footwear and innovation. Formerly Under Armour’s chief operating officer and president of product, Fulks will focus on driving the global growth of its footwear category and will continue to oversee footwear innovations. Under Armour CFO Brad Dickerson will assume the COO responsibilities.