Under Armour brand is famous among different age groups for its apparel, footwear, and accessories. You can sense their popularity by the Financial year 2021 numbers. Under Armour reached $3.5 billion in net revenue for sales in the United States, which accounts for 61.4% of UA’s total revenue worldwide, which was $5.7 billion in Fiscal 2021. In the Footwear genre, the brand saw a 35% increase in revenue in 2021 because of innovations like UA Flow Velociti Wind which is created to help athletes reach their top speed with lightweight and rubberless shoes.
So, it is clear that Under Armour shoes are not going anywhere and may continue to see a rise. That’s why for consumers like us it becomes very important to know where are the shoes, including other footwear of Under Armour are made. Clear the decks. It’s going to be a very interesting and informative journey.
Where Are Under Armour Shoes Manufactured?
After reading dozens of feedback, going through many stores, and dissecting the company’s annual report. I can say with 100% certainty that all Under Armour shoes are made in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Vietnam takes 1/3rd of manufacturing. For some people, it may sound disturbing to know that an American company is not manufacturing any shoes in the USA, yup! you need to digest it. Surprisingly, after writing many articles on shoes, Vietnam almost always takes the lead in manufacturing footwear for other brands like Hoka, Hey Dude, Olukai, Kizik, Brooks, and ASICS.
According to Under Armour, the brand only has 6 primary contract manufacturers to create UA shoes operating in Vietnam, China, and Indonesia. Moreover, it is not possible to give you the exact information or address of suppliers/manufacturers because UA is not in any long-term contract with their manufacturers, and depending on demand and market conditions the UA can decide to increase or decrease the number of contractual manufacturers they have.
Also, if one or many of Under Armour’s suppliers experience significant financial difficulty, bankruptcy, or failure to comply with labor or other laws, then UA will seek other suppliers. In this regard, apart from the three countries that are involved in all footwear manufacturing, many other countries can potentially be added. If that’d be the case, I’ll make sure to update this article to remain relevant. While researching, I came across a very interesting question asked by a customer about manufacturing, along with the Official UA Expert’s answer. Attaching the screenshot – please look at it.
Who Owns Under Armour?
Under Armour is owned by Patrik Frisk, who is the President and CEO of UA and leads the entire team, which in turn means that Patrik Frisk oversees all the manufacturing decisions taken by the internal team. Let’s talk about some history! Kevin Plank found the company in 1996. His initial plan was to create moisture-wicking apparel that would help athletes to remain cool and dry while working out. Now, the Plank had the shirt design, and he maxed out his credit cards to create Under Armour. He started this company and perform initial operations in his grandmother’s basement.
Within a year Plank managed a major apparel sale to Georgia Tech University and relocated the UA headquarters to Baltimore, which is still the same since 1998.
How Does Under Armour Select Manufacturers/Suppliers?
There could be many reasons for one company to select or promote one manufacturer over another. Under Armour has its own set of expectations from suppliers, which I love to share in points.
- Under Armour manufacturers and suppliers must treat their team and employees in a legal and ethical manner.
- UA seeks suppliers that comply with the laws of the United States.
- They have a long list of manners expected from suppliers/manufacturers mentioned in the UA code of conduct. Some of those are nondiscrimination, compensation, respect, and dignity toward workers, no forced labor, and no labor under and or 15 years, etc.
- Suppliers and manufacturers must transfer Under Armour products across the border in compliance with U.S. Export Administration Act and Export Administration Regulations.
- Before hiring manufacturers on ongoing bases, they are evaluated based on quality systems. Social compliance, and financial strength.
- UA seeks vendors who can perform multiple states of manufacturing, like collecting the raw products and then providing the finished products which help the company to control the costs of goods sold.
There are many things that Under Armour looks at when hiring or keeping manufacturers, but I provided ones that seem important to me.
Market Served By Under Armour
Ok, now we are talking about distribution and not just footwear but their overall product range. Under Armour footwear, apparel, and accessories are focused on 4 markets: North America including US and Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Latin America, and Asia Pacific.
North America
North America proves to be the biggest market for Under Armour as it holds 67% of the company’s net revenue. Interestingly, one customer in North America accounts for 11% of net revenue in the year 2021. He must be a genuine lover of Under Armour. As of December 31, 2021, the UA has 180 factory house stores and 19 Brand House stores. In North America, you can buy UA footwear from the US, Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, and Mexico.
EMEA
In EMEA, the UA sells footwear, apparel, and accessories through wholesale customers and Independent distributors. They also have Brand and Factory House Stores along with e-commerce sites within Europe. You can shop official Under Armour shoes in over 110 countries in EMEA. The complete list is available here.
Asia Pacific
UA footwear, apparel, and accessories are sold in China, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand through distributors and wholesale partner stores. UA also has its own Brand and Factory House stores along with e-commerce sites.
There are countries like India, Taiwan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, and a few other southeast Asian countries where UA products are sold via distributors. These products get distributed throughout the Asia Pacific via third-party logistic partners located in China, Australia, South Korea, and Hong Kong.
Latin America
In Latin America, Only Mexico has the leverage to be a part of Under Armour’s wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels. In Fiscal 2021, the UA took the decision to shift from direct sales operations to distributing products through independent distributors via their international distribution hub located in Panama. Some of these countries are Chile, Argentina, Columbia, and Brazil.
References
Michael is heavily inclined towards traveling to natural places and documenting cultures/people from different parts of the world. He also loves hiking and camping and is spirited toward all outdoor activities. He will share his passion for outdoor life and brands or products we use outside our homes. He has good research skills, and that’s why you can see why his articles are packed with info that is factual and not readily available. He also has the vision to travel the whole world and share it with all readers of Outdoor Favor.
