Under Armour

About Under Armour

Under Armour NYSE: UA is a brand of clothing headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, designed for use in sports. It was originally created to be worn underneath uniforms (like baseball or basketball jerseys) or pads (like football, hockey or lacrosse shoulder pads), but now also manufactures clothes such as hooded sweatshirts, regular t-shirts, sweat pants, compression shorts, etc. Under Armour led the trend of form-fitting, moisture-wicking performance apparel which was soon imitated by Nike, with their Dri-FIT Pro line, and by Reebok, with their NFL Equipment line. In June of 2006, Under Armour released a brand of football cleats using the slogan "Click-Clack." Many soldiers currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan wear Under Armour or similar moisture-wicking clothing to relieve some heat from the hot climate. Recently parts of the U.S. Military and other NATO forces have banned Under Armour because polyester fuses to the skin when exposed to flame or very intense heat resulting in worse burns. In 2008, Under Armour aired its first ever Super Bowl ad, marketing its first all-sport training shoe, which was released in May 2008.

In late 2007, Under Armour opened its first retail location at the Westfield Annapolis mall in Annapolis, Maryland. In May 2008, Under Armour also opened a larger 6,000 square feet store at Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora, Illinois. The stores are designed to look like the underbelly of a sports stadium with concrete facade, tunnel entrance and a ramp that goes up into the store. Under Armour plans to open several other stores in 2008.

On February 15, 2008, Under Armour announced it will become the official kit sponsor of German Bundesliga team Hannover 96 beginning with the 2008-09 season, Under Armour's first kit sponsorship for a professional soccer team. Under Armour also announced that they would sponsor the Wales rugby team's shirts starting next season.