Stephen Curry is expected to rock his new signature mid-low Under Armour kicks when he returns to action tonight from his fourth ankle injury of the season.
ESPN Exclusive: For first time in his Under Armour signature line tenure, Stephen Curry will wear a mid-low sneaker when he returns from ankle injury. https://t.co/Pga7Ep2H8r
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) March 22, 2018
The 30-year-old two-time MVP says it’s ironic that he’s switching to low-tops considering his ankle issues, but argues that the Curry 5 is “stable and engineered to maximize” performance.
Steph has missed the past six games, and will wear ankle braces along with the new shoes.
Per ESPN:
“These shoes are an evolution in my signature series and engineered to work in tandem with my braces better than any shoe previously,” Curry told ESPN.
“I wanted to switch it up a little bit with a light shoe that could help speed the game up for me,” he said. “It is kind of ironic that I made the switch this season considering my ankle issues, but this shoe is stable and engineered to maximize my performance. I will still wear my ankle braces, but I have total comfort and security in my new shoe.”
He admitted that style played a part in the change, as well. He made his feelings known in a meeting with Under Armour almost two years ago.
“It was like my Forrest Gump moment where I envisioned playing without my braces,” he said. “… When people took pictures of my shoes, the braces distracted what the shoe looks like and it made it look a little bulky. I was like, ‘I just want to get to a point where I can get my ankles strong enough that when I’m out there on the court with my new shoes, I’m looking good in my new shoes and I don’t have to wear these braces to dumb it down.’
“But I had to take a step back and say I can have the best of both worlds. I can have a dope shoe that’s a low that still can fit a brace that makes sure that I’m good to go. This was years in the making.”
