Under Armour Prototype

About Under Armour

Under Armour is a company well-known for performance and quality. Established in 1996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank, the company quickly became known as the go-to name for technologically advanced athletic apparel. Their unique clothing items are designed to meet athletes’ specific needs – to keep heat at bay and wick away sweat in hot temperatures, and provide lightweight warmth that allows athletes to be unencumbered no matter what conditions they train in.

Introducing the Under Armour Prototype

In addition to hundreds of apparel items, accessories, gear, and men’s, women’s, and children’s footwear, Under Armour introduces a new innovation in athletic footwear: the prototype. These Under Armour Prototype cross trainers have been designed in three styles – the Proto Power, the Proto Speed, and the Proto Evade. The exclusive elements of Under Armour’s DCE, or Directional Cushioning Engineering, helps reduce shock absorption to reduce stress to the foot, provides enhanced rebounding with innovative heel core material, and assists in efficient movements through the foot-cradling Armourguide design. The Prototype Trainers are also equipped with the HeatGear Moisture Transport System to keep feet cool even during intense workouts. These cross trainers are a prime replacement for the standard tennis shoe.

Proto Power

The Proto Power is designed to have excellent cushioning and stability, and also aid in propulsion for better performance. This footwear is created to give athletes an edge in sports where jumping and vertical movement is important.

Proto Speed

The Proto Speed, as the name suggests, is a speed trainer that promises comfort, excellent motion control, and enhanced stability. It’s excellent for sports where running and moving quickly is key.

Proto Evade

The Proto Evade is the ideal shoe for sports requiring quick, precise movements. The Armourguide is designed to curve along the exterior shoe wall so athletes can maintain the most control.

Choosing Your Prototype

If you’re not sure which prototype is best for your needs, Under Armour has developed a unique Prototype Engine that gives you a recommendation based on your input for several types if information. First, you enter whether the shoe you need is for training for a specific sport, multi-purpose, or intense training. Click on your performance level for several activities, along with an approximate number (on a 1-10 scale) of how much time you spend training to improve various aspects of your athletic ability, such as strength, agility, and recovery. Then the engine will recommend a shoe based on your personal needs.

The Look

Although these UA shoes are designed for performance, they also offer a sleek, attractive style. The men’s and boys' are explosive in the black and white Proto Power and black, white and red Proto Speed and Proto Evade. The women’s and girls' styles are available in a cool grey, white, and icy pink Speed and a teal, grey, and white Evade.

Where to Buy UA Prototype Shoes

The UA Prototype footwear is scheduled to be released in May 2008, when they will be available at major athletic shoe stores and sporting goods stores nationwide, as well as via the Under Armour website and online retailers. You can pre-order the shoes by visiting the Prototype Pre-Order page of the Under Armour website. The shoes retail approximately sixty five to one hundred dollars.

Prototype Commercial

The new Prototype commercial received plenty of publicity with its airplay during the 2008 Superbowl. The explosive commercial shows various athletes in extreme training situations and then congregating. Although attention-grabbing, viewers have mixed opinions on the commercial itself in terms of message and clarity. To view the commercial yourself, check out the Under Armour Ad on YouTube.

Whether the commercial receives accolades or not, Under Armour has proven itself to be a strong brand with a reputation for quality – and for many, that’s reason enough to be wear the latest Under Armour Prototype footwear.