The much-anticipated latest model of Under Armour’s Curry 4 sneaker will be hitting stores later than expected.
The adult version of the shoe, which was a hit among the kids market, was expected to hit stores on Friday. But, top retailers, including Foot Locker and Dick’s Sporting Goods, are only allowing customers to order it with an expected ship date of Nov. 18. Meanwhile, a visit to Under Armour’s website lists the shoe as sold out, but confirms the ship date for pre-orders.
The delay couldn’t come at a worse time for the apparel brand. The popularity of the shoe was supposed to help the company recover from dwindling sales.
Now, analysts are worried the setback could mean customers losing interest in the shoe and moving on to other choices, leaving the brand right back where it started.
The Curry 4 is named after NBA superstar Stephen Curry. The Baltimore-based footwear and apparel company is using the shoe to cement their place in the sneaker market, and is so optimistic that they’ve partnered with Curry through 2024 as part of their growth strategy. However, the brand’s momentum has slowed in the past year, with the company’s footwear sales decreasing by 2 percent in the second quarter.
In a CNBC story earlier this month, before the delays were announced, an analyst predicted that the Curry 4 would be the number one basketball shoe this year. According to the story, Under Armour’s stocks were down 44 percent at press time, but analysts were predicting that shoe’s popularity would create a boost in sales.