UNDER ARMOUR FOOTBALL BOOTS: Q & A

Since we showed you exclusive images of the Under Armour Create Pro and Dominate Pro, we’ve been inundated with requests to find out more about the company.

So, next week we’ll be taking a very close look at some specific Under Armour product, but in the meantime and to whet your appetite, we thought you’d like to see what the US brand has to say for itself.

Under Armour Create Pro

Alex Chater is Under Armour’s Senior Manager, Soccer and Slides (though I think we’ll just call him Top man, Football) and he recently granted the all-new UA web site a one to one Q and A.

What does your role at Under Armour involve and where did your passion for football stem from?

I work with Design, Development, Sales, and Marketing to create the product and the story behind the footwear.

My passion for football began early with the influence of a Chilean mother, British father and German grandmother all combined with a Scottish youth coach. I won two High School Soccer State Championships in Kentucky and played at Wake Forest in the first years the program was Division I.

Can you take us through the concept behind the boots? What gives Under Armour’s boots a technological edge?

We began the process of making football boots with one mission in mind: Build the best boots possible that perform at the highest level of competition in the world. By truly understanding the needs of the athlete we found two distinct types of player: The Create player and the Dominate player.

The Create player wreaks havoc with speed and strength while the Dominate player controls the pitch with skill and will. We created two different boots to fit those player profiles.

The Create Pro in action (www.underarmour.com/ua11)

The Create boot focuses on being lightweight, breathable, supportive and protective. We have built and exoskeletal support frame in the upper combined with a perforated microfiber for enhanced ventilation and water wicking capabilities.

The Dominate boot blends technology with tradition. This player relies on touch to control the match. This boot is created with our Water Intelligent Leather which is substantially more water resistant than other leathers. We have also incorporated our MPZ (Modular protection Zone) technology on the forefoot to protect the metatarsals from impact and help hold the metatarsals on the “chassis” or outsole of the shoe.

With companies like Adidas and Nike dominating the football boot market, what approach is UA taking to make its mark?

Our company was founded on the guiding principle of performance. We offer a Universal Guarantee of Performance on every piece of product that Under Armour makes to ensure that our product technology performs as hard as the athlete who is wearing it does. Telling our story and offering footballers specific boots that work to meet their needs as a player is what will differentiate us in the market.

What process was put in place to create the current range of football boots? Have the boots been tested in game competition?

We have a dedicated team of footwear experts across Design, Development, and Marketing both in the US and Europe. Through extensive research focusing on players at all levels, trainers, managers and key retail partners, we developed the two types of boots based on the needs of the athlete.

Under Armour Dominate Pro

Wear-testing is also a crucial aspect in the development process. Through our wear-test program, in which some of the world’s top players compete in our boots, the brand is able to produce the most technologically advanced and authentic product.

Make sure you check in with Footy Boots next week as we have more on Under Armour and a very special piece in ‘From the Sole’.