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- Steph Curry & Under Armor Turn Shoe Complaint into Gender Equity Action
Steph Curry & Under Armor Turn Shoe Complaint into Gender Equity Action
W|W DL 62
Number 62
Steph Curry & Under Armor Turn Shoe Complaint into Gender Equity Action
Featured Focus:
Athlete-Driven Impact, Access / Inclusion / Equality,
Youth Development
Scope of Impact: Nationwide
The year was 2018. No one knew what social distancing or COVID were yet. But one nine-year-old, Riley Morrison, was calling out a superstar for overlooking girls in his sneaker line. That superstar, Steph Curry, didn't just listen—he acted, sparking a chain reaction with Under Armour that went far beyond a simple fix. Here’s the breakdown:
The Spark: Riley, wanting Curry 5s for her basketball season, found them missing from the girls' section on UA's website. She wrote to Curry to point-out the unfairness. Curry responded publicly, thanking her for the feedback. Privately, he assured her they were fixing issue with Under Armour immediately.
Beyond the Fix: Curry and Under Armour collaborated with Riley to co-design a special edition Curry 6, the "United We Win," released on International Women's Day. Sales funded a new $30,000 annual scholarship, managed by the Curry Family Foundation and UA, for Bay Area girls pursuing STEM.
Lasting Change: This wasn't just a one-off. The incident catalyzed a shift to unisex sizing across all Curry Brand footwear, embedding inclusivity into the product line. Curry continues championing gender equity through initiatives like his girls' basketball camps and the Curry Family Women’s Athletics Initiative at Davidson College.
Even though this story’s more than five years old, it’s just as resonant today, especially considering the recent anti-DEI conversation. It’s also the perfect example of the power of speaking up as an advocate — and listening as an athlete — in order to make real change happen.
In this case, Curry's response to Riley’s note about not having a girls’ sneaker went beyond a typical PR or product marketing response. He could have simply corrected the website listing and sent Riley a free pair of shoes. But we love that he fully leaned-into his role as a women's advocate and father of two daughters, and took tangible actions that were aligned with his values.
Curry saw an opportunity to create long-term impact and didn’t hesitate. Between the STEM scholarship, unisex show sizing, and girls basketball camp, Riley's note set-off a chain reaction of female equity and empowerment that continues to light the sports world on fire.
YOUR NEXT PLAY:
When you receive comments, feedback, or criticism, what information can you take-away to improve a program or build a new idea? What kinds of changes could you most easily implement that would also have the most positive impact?
Original coverage from Under Armour addressing the sizing error after Riley’s letter to Curry. | The (then) 9-year-old helped design the Curry 6 in honor of International Women's Day. | Steph Curry's 2018 personal essay on women's equality and fatherhood. |
Under Armour details their Curry 6 shoe, and the scholarship inspired by Riley Morrison. | Steph and Aisha invest in Davidson College’s women's athletics programs to promote equity. | The Curry’s nonprofit, which provides kids in Oakland, CA with access to healthy food, good books, opportunities to play. |
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