10 shoes down: Stephen Curry reflects on his signature sneakers

Your shoe is a representation of who you are through and through. I always wanted to know what it'd be like to have your own, you know, your name on your shoe, your logo, whatever it was, be able to create different colorways. In my head, sometimes you take, you know, somebody else's shoe and act like it was yours, but to have my own now, it's pretty crazy. And when you signed with Under Armour in 2013, part of the deal, of course, was they guaranteed you a signature shoe. Just what were the starting points in terms of laying the foundation for what your series was going to represent? I mean, that was obviously one of the draws to, you know, joining UA at the time was to build something, you know, with my own fingerprint DNA on it and, you know, kind of control the growth of a category within basketball that there's a lot of upside, a lot of opportunity there. And when you pick up the Curry 1, just what comes back to mind in terms of the themes, the stories, the colors you guys told? When you look at the Curry 1, it's something I hadn't really seen before. You got the dimples in the side on the upper, you know, you got the charge foam on the bottom, the micro G. The first time you've seen the SC and the 30, you know, logo and just knowing, like, there were opportunities to put certain colors and themes together that were, you know, close to my heart and celebrate major milestones throughout that year, major moments. Case in point, the splash party Curry 1, the birthday colorway that I actually got in trouble for back when you couldn't wear the chrome accents on the shoe because I don't know why, but I got in trouble for these a couple of times. I think one time I brought them back, but I didn't really care if I got in trouble. They were just cold, so I wore them anyway. But it's a special shoe that at the time for me was, you know, my splash into the signature shoe game. And when you went from the 1 to the 2, what was kind of new and improved from the 1 to the second shoe there? The ability to take some of the great technology that UA had and some of the learnings I had of, you know, wearing the 1 to the 2. We obviously brought back the charge foam, kind of elevating the upper a little bit to make it a little bit more forgiving, a little bit fresher, especially right out the box that you could wear and not have to break it in as much. And then also with the second signature shoe, the iron sharpens iron was a big theme for that model. How would you kind of describe how that mantra relates to how you've always practiced and prepared? The iron sharpens iron right here in Curry 2. There's a biblical reference, you know, that mantra that, you know, nothing that I do and nothing that anybody does special in this world you do on your own. But the ability to be around, you know, people that can uplift you, encourage you, bring the best out of you and what you can do for them going through some really hard times and trying to persevere through it all. He's just like, I got it like that. There is a different energy to this man's game. I have a lot to accomplish. I don't have anything to prove. And of course, I remember on MLK Day, you debuted that special P you're holding for President Barack Obama. Just what stood out about the details of that? Like, how memorable was that day in that shoe for you? Anytime you can, you know, pay homage and respect to, for me, what President Barack Obama stands for, the inspiration he gave our country, his presidency and the progress that we made during those eight years. It's kind of surreal still to this day. You got the presidential seal in here at 44 and the tone, like, this is classic right here. So this is a definitely a great memory and something that you can just look at and smile about knowing what it represents. And then you had a surprise that same season when you debuted the Curry Force at the 2017 finals when nobody was expecting it. What do you remember about that debut? I remember running out of the tunnel at Oracle for my pregame shooting time before game one at home. And I usually have that moment where I run out on the court and go to our home bench. And that's where I kind of lace up my shoes. I was wearing the threes all year, then the three zeros during the playoffs. And then you come out in the fours during, you know, the finals of game one. It was that classic crispy, you know, white with a little gold accents. And I just remember the arena was just on fire. And I walk out, put my foot on the bench and there's a lot of kind of humming and whispers going on around me around, you know, what's he wearing? Like, what is that? And it was the four as a debut. And obviously I played pretty well that series we won. And it was kind of an iconic moment. And just how much different was that design from where you guys were at in the past? And how did that kind of sleekness, you know, how much of a difference in an achievement would you say that was in terms of just advancing the series? It gives you that tailor fit that, you know, helps you feel locked in, but also comfortable and kind of hugs your foot. A lot of people's favorites and something that was really, really classic because of the way we introduced it to the world, you know, game one of the finals, and also just the way that it looks, because it's such a kind of a unique and classic silhouette. And then when we get to the five, the following year, to me, that was also unveiled at a unique time because it was on your 30th birthday. Just what do you remember about that window and just how you debuted in March of that season? I mean, with the five debuted around my 30th birthday and looking forward to taking that next step, obviously, towards the playoffs. It's a special time because obviously you've got the hit with the pi symbol, birthdays, you know, March 14, 3.14. So it was a nice kind of discoverable there and a little Easter egg within the Curry five shoe. You know, fine for me, the balance between that comfort that we have with the knit and the four, but I mean, you know, a little bit more court feel, which I've always thrived on. There's a balance between ultimate cushion and the ultimate court feel that I try to find my sweet spot in the five was, you know, our shot at trying to make that right. Never in my wildest dreams when we even partnered with Under Armour and got into the signature business that I know, you know, what the journey was going to look like. And then with the six, that was basically the shoe you wore your last season in Oakland at Oracle. Just how important was it to kind of storytell around the decade you spent in Oakland and give a thanks to the town? You know, coming up with the 10 in the town, you know, theme and bringing, you know, a spotlight to Oakland and to the city that supported me for my first 10 years and just bringing all of those memories and that culture and the pride of Oakland. Shout out to Oakland that I got to truly grow up in the game. And to me, I mean, that was a real sleek design. It also had the knit upper too. Just how much were you looking to make that shoe just more versatile on and off the floor as well? Yeah, I think from the four on, we always had in mind in terms of the aesthetic, the silhouette and the design, you know, trying to make it as dynamic and versatile as possible since you can rock it in a lot of different settings, not just on the court. So that knit upper allows you to kind of play around with some of those looks. I think we had some pretty cool ways to color, you know, to design colorways with the blocking on this one. Even the shank that we have on the side with the SC on there, you can make it translucent, you could color it a lot of different ways and give it more of a dynamic look that we were proud of. And then as we got into the seven the following season, you know, you had the big Sour Patch Kids collab that, you know, was one of the starting points for that shoe. Just what was the inspiration behind that pack and what'd you think about how vibrant the colorways were? This is loud, ain't it? Like to have this, you know, the Sour Patch, which everybody knows I have a sweet tooth. It has, you know, a hover on the top of the outsole, micro G on the bottom with a nice Play-Doh in between that gave it a nice court feel, a nice ride from heel to toe. But even just the colorways and the aesthetic of it. I wore the two-tone Sour Patch Kids in the last game that we played against Toronto when I came back from my injury. Curry got it to go, count it, first two since coming back and send him to the line. Just gave me a lot of energy to put them on my feet and go out there and hoop. This is Sneaky, one of my favorite ones in the line, just with everything that we put into it. With the eight, you were also unveiling the entire new Curry brand and sort of a rebrand in a sense. We're just thinking about what can we do next? How can we, you know, take this to the new level? And that's when we were able to unveil Curry brand, the new logo. Now we have an opportunity to announce, you know, Flow. It's an outsole with no rubber. It's all foam. It's one of those shoes that, you know, the technology is different. You know, that first time you wear it, it's kind of a unique experience in terms of you don't hear any squeaks. It's silent, but it's so efficient with everything that it does. And of course, the nine also carried Flow right over to it. And what were some of the other innovations and kind of inspirations you were trying to bring into the nine the following season? We wanted to bring back Flow. We wanted to kind of play around with some different ways that Flow could be, you know, expressed. It's more of a low than the eight was, but it still stands on top of the amazing Flow technology that I love. And then to be able to have some amazing milestones in this shoe. And, you know, we prepared for obviously the 2974. Here's Curry for the record. It's good! And a shoe that kind of was a curveball this year that came in as well was the Curry 4 Flowtro. Just what was it like debuting that shoe and sort of remixing the past with the Curry 4 with the Flowtro today? I don't know, it pops on the floor. Like you, no matter what jersey I'm wearing, you put these on and it just kind of, it stands out. And these shoes were undefeated in the playoffs. So, you know. I was going to ask, did you know about that as you were playing in the playoffs or was it until somebody brought it up that you realized you hadn't lost in those? It was after game four or going into game five, somebody asked me, did I know that we were undefeated when I wore these shoes? And I said, no, I didn't know. And then it got my mind all thinking like, now that I know, do I need to switch it up? Because then they've jinxed the perfection of the shoe where I just keep rocking and knowing that as long as I'm rocking these, we're not going to lose. And in game five, I kind of switched it up a little bit. I wore the Eat, Learn, Play version of these shoes in the first half. I had to switch back into these at halftime and we ended up winning game five. And then it was a no brainer that I was wearing these the whole game six. They stayed undefeated. So, I appreciate that. And as we get to the Curry 10, you're only the ninth active player in league history to have a signature series hit 10 models in a row. Just how does it feel to be in that select group? To get to the 10 shoes, a lot of hard work in a lot of different areas and definitely grateful and appreciative of the opportunity to keep sharing my story through my kicks. The fact that we've had so many highs within this journey, it makes it even more special. It kind of gives you chills and goosebumps sometimes thinking about what you were feeling, thinking in those moments while you're wearing each of these shoes. And then as you start to look ahead, just what's next and where do you see Curry brand expanding and extending to? Never in my wildest dreams when we even partnered with Under Armour and got into the signature business did I know what the journey was going to look like. And we want to keep leveling up. I want to keep performing on the court at the highest level. I want to keep reiterating the signature shoes. Branching into golf, which is a huge passion of mine and a way to give kids and golfers access to my brand. As you go through each season, you find new opportunities to find inspiration, to find motivation within the kicks, within the brand and always with Curry brand, finding ways to give back and create opportunity for the next generation to be able to participate in sports, be able to go to safe places to play, have proper equipment, proper coaching and programs, to find their best selves through sports. That's what Curry brand is all about and continue to change the game.