Last updated on February 19th, 2022 at 06:42 PM
When Stephen Curry first told Under Armour that he wanted to create a Curry 6 colorway to celebrate International Women’s Day and honor the women in his life, the son, brother, husband and father to two daughters could not have predicted how monumental that decision would be.
Fast forward a year to November 2018.
Nine-year-old Riley Morrison was searching for Stephen Curry-UA signature basketball shoes when she recognized a problem; she could not find any in the Girls section on UA.com.
Instead of just accepting the situation, Riley decided to write Stephen Curry a letter telling him about her experience.
She had no idea that Stephen would soon write her back and would himself call on Under Armour to address the inequality.
Throughout 2019, Under Armour is celebrating people who, like Riley, champion equality, justice and opportunity for all through an initiative called United We Win. By uniting others and calling them to action – often by challenging the status quo – these Uniters remind us that together we can be a force for good.
To honour the actions of a young girl who inspired a global NBA superstar, Under Armour and Stephen asked Riley to add her personal design touch to the UA ICON Curry 6 United We Win colorway – a blend of purple and deep orchid with white – releasing on International Women’s Day, March 8.
In addition to a “United We Win” sockliner, Riley designed a sockliner that features two girls playing basketball, surrounded by the words that inspired Riley to play the role of a Uniter, such as “Be Fearless,” “Girl Power,” “Be the Change,” Girls Hoop Too,” and “Rock the Currys.”
“I’ve been kinda blown away, and certainly grateful for the opportunities that Stephen has given me, including sharing inspiration for other girls through the sockliner art. This has been such an incredible experience,” said Morrison.
A second available sockliner includes the United We Win message. Consumers also have the option to customize the sockliner with their own photo.
Stephen has been a champion for gender equality in sports. Last August he wrote in The Players’ Tribune about the importance of being a role model to his two daughters Riley and Ryan, his sister Sydel, supporting his wife Ayesha through her dreams and pursuits, and thanking his mom Sonya for being his role model growing up.
He’s been outspoken about the gender pay gap. And he invited two young women last summer to take part in his UA SC30 elite basketball camp which has traditionally been invite-only for high school boys.
Sales of the Curry 6 United We Win will go toward a scholarship that the Stephen and Ayesha Curry Family Foundation and Under Armour have created to honor Riley’s courageous spirit.
The scholarship will go to a worthy college-bound female student from the Bay Area who has shown an aptitude for overcoming adversity, catalyzing change within their community, and demonstrating excellence in a STEM-related field of study.
The $30,000 scholarship, which will be announced annually around International Women’s Day, is paid over two years and requires the recipient to take two or more STEM-related classes each semester while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA.
