Steph Curry Changed Basketball Forever With His Shot — Now He's Teaming Up With De'aaron Fox To Transform The Sneaker Game

Signature sneakers personification been a cornerstone of nan hoops business since Michael Jordan signed pinch Nike successful 1984. As nan saying goes, everybody wants to 'Be Like Mike.' But nan footwear crippled has recreation a agelong measurement since Nike willingly paid MJ's fines for wearing Air Jordans successful "unapproved colors."

Turn connected an NBA crippled today, and you'll spot players rocking shoes successful each colour and style imaginable, each brace making a unsocial statement. Now, Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry — 1 of Jordan's fiercest challengers for nan title of basketball's astir influential subordinate — intends to revolutionize nan sneaker world conscionable arsenic he transformed nan crippled itself. And we each cognize really deadly Curry's intent is.

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From competitors to collaborators

In December, Curry Brand introduced its first signature athlete, Sacramento Kings prima De'Aaron Fox, pinch nan motorboat of nan Fox 1, marking an absorbing milestone for nan quickly expanding brand. De'Aaron Fox, who holds nan season's highest-scoring crippled pinch 60 points, signed pinch Under Armour successful 2023 aft leaving Nike, becoming Curry Brand's first non-eponymous signature athlete.

Fox's woody is unsocial successful that progressive players aren't typically signed to different progressive player's label. They often deterioration each other's shoes, but being signed to a marque wherever your rival is nan acting president is unusual, to opportunity nan least.

"There are group successful nan manufacture and nan world who personification tried to flick astatine that, but we spot it arsenic a benefit," says Curry Brand caput of trading Nana Dadzie. "For De'Aaron, joining nan marque of personification you've admired since precocious schoolhouse is special. Michael Jordan was nan defining fig for my generation, and successful position of powerfulness connected today's game, Curry is nan only 1 pinch that benignant of impact."

Like Jordan Brand pinch Nike, Curry Brand is Under Armour's only standalone label. It launched successful 2020, though Curry has been pinch nan institution since 2013.

Dadzie joined successful 2022 aft 16 years moving successful higher education. "I'll ne'er hide gathering Steph for nan first clip astatine Curry Camp, conscionable a less weeks into nan role," Dadzie recalls. "We were successful an elevator, and I told him, 'I didn't recreation coming for nan glitz, glam, aliases conscionable to beryllium your friend — though we've spell friends. I'm coming to thief you build a bequest brand.'"

Curry Brand takes a unique onslaught to trading its products: building narratives astir an athlete's signature skill. Curry's legendary shooting has been beforehand and halfway successful campaigns for illustration nan memorable Curry 2 advertisement (featuring different celebrated Fox — Jamie).

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Speed is key

For De'Aaron Fox, named nan NBA's fastest subordinate successful nan 2024 GM survey, velocity is key. As such, nan tally for his debut shoe, nan Fox 1, is titled "Speed that Scares."

"People cognize maine for pushing nan changeable and playing pinch pace, truthful I felt for illustration nan tagline ' was a cleanable caller and point that would make a relationship pinch this being my first signature shoe," said Fox.

The accent connected signature skills is acold from a coincidence successful Curry Brand's marketing. "One constituent I ever punctual my imaginative teams is that we're successful nan business of trading hoops shoes," Dadzie explains.

"It's easy to get carried distant pinch chaotic ideas, but we must create pinch intent. When moving pinch move players for illustration De'Aaron and Steph, nan cardinal is leaning into what group cognize astir them."

Along pinch building astir an athlete's signature skill, Curry Brand leans connected joke to guidelines out. The iconic three-second ads featuring Curry himself point his shooting prowess by showing him bewildered astatine nan show of a ceramic aliases producing steam aft dunking his signature basking manus successful a bucket of water.

The "Speed that Scares" run follows a akin approach, kicking disconnected pinch nan first 30-second spot, "Any Shoes."

In nan ad, Fox stands astatine halfway court, surrounded by a oversea of shoes, playfully musing astir really accelerated he is successful each of them. But it's nan past brace — nan Fox 1s — that defenders should genuinely fear.

"I emotion really we took point truthful inherent to him — his on-court velocity — and built astir it, incorporating his characteristic connected nan way," Dadzie says.

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The 2nd ad, "The Janitor," is moreover overmuch creative. This 1 puts a playful twist connected a acquainted hoops scenario: erstwhile a janitor interrupts your workout. Here, nan janitor braces himself, donning goggles arsenic fast-paced euphony sets nan tone. Fox past proceeds to blaze done drills pinch specified velocity that he sends nan janitor's cleaning supplies flying and leaves him dazed. The spot ends pinch Fox casually stepping away, waving arsenic nan stunned janitor watches successful disbelief.

"I perfectly emotion nan 'Janitor' spot," Fox says. "It's truthful relatable to immoderate hoops subordinate who has stayed precocious astatine their precocious schoolhouse aliases mediate schoolhouse gym and had nan janitor recreation successful while they were still moving out. We had a ton of nosy filming that one, and I deliberation group will really bask it."

While Steph Curry has defied logic connected nan hoops court, moreover he can't conclusion Father Time. The 36-year-old superstar has spoken publically astir nan ticking timepiece connected his occupation respective times recently, acknowledging that "the extremity is near."

For nan NBA, it intends saying goodbye to nan apical shooter ever. For Curry Brand, it marks a caller beginning. And nan Fox 1s are nan first step.

"Our extremity is to build a bequest marque for illustration Jordan's that lasts bully beyond his playing days," says Dadzie. "Legacy isn't conscionable astir what you clip disconnected behind; it's astir inspiring others to proscription it forward. Players for illustration De'Aaron Fox spell information of Steph's legacy. Just arsenic Michael Jordan's powerfulness endures, Steph's effect is already cemented. His Hall of Fame occupation will beryllium remembered forever."