Under Armour is building its baseball category around Bryce Harper. The reigning National League MVP’s endorsement deal with the brand, which was extended earlier this year, is the largest for any Major League Baseball player in history and guarantees that he’ll be repping UA on the field for at least the next 10 years.
To set this new partnership off, Under Armour is dropping the player’s and the brand’s first signature baseball cleat this month—the Harper One. Here’s a full breakdown of the model with the shoe’s designers, as well as a first look at upcoming colorways.
Under Armour is building its baseball category around Bryce Harper. The reigning National League MVP’s endorsement deal with the brand, which was extended earlier this year, is the largest for any Major League Baseball player in history and guarantees that he’ll be repping UA on the field for at least the next 10 years.
To set this new partnership off, Under Armour is dropping the player’s and the brand’s first signature baseball cleat this month—the Harper One. Here’s a full breakdown of the model with the shoe’s designers, as well as a first look at upcoming colorways.
There are details on the shoe that tie back to his hometown.
The mountain on the strap pays homage to where Harper grew up in Las Vegas. There are also subtle nods to Nevada, such as the Vegas skyline on the medial side. "His hometown of Vegas is really important to him, so we wanted to make sure we incorporated details there," said John Humphrey, Footwear Creative Director at Under Armour.
The 220 that’s inscribed on the tongue stands for...
“Second to none,” which is a motto that Harper wears on a bracelet that his father gave him as a child. “He’s pretty humble and wanted to keep that to himself by putting that in the inside of the shoe so he would see it every time he goes to put the shoes on,” said Josh Rattet, Vice President of Team Sports Product.
The Harper One uses the same cushioning technology as Stephen Curry’s signature sneaker line.
“Comfort is key in baseball. We talked about the upper construction and moldability of the performance wovens, but also the midsole,” Rattet said. The Harper One features full-length Charged cushioning, similar to the Curry basketball line. Also similar to Curry, Harper’s logo is also a mix of his initials and uniform number—34.
Bryce Harper will debut a platinum colorway during the MLB All-Star game.
“It’s Under Armour’s 20th anniversary, which is synonymous with platinum,” Humphrey said. “We wanted to do something that would stand out on the field, but also pay homage to the fact that our company is in its 20th year.” Colorways inspired by Harper’s Camaro and Mercedes CLS in matte and bling are also due out later this year.
Training versions of Harper’s signature cleats could be on the way.
“I think we want validate it on field first and build that credibility on the diamond, kind of like what we do with Cam and Steph,” Rattet said. “Then the opportunity to delve into the training and lifestyle world is something we’re definitely considering.”
