UNDER ARMOUR OPENS FOOTWEAR INNOVATION HUB IN PORTLAND
Performance athletic brand Under Armour introduced its newest center for performance innovation in Portland, Oregon, bringing footwear design and development under one roof. To assist the company’s most significant push in the footwear business to date, the new innovation hub includes a forward-looking biomechanics lab and performance training center for athlete testing.
The Under Armour Portland office (UA PDX) is home to the design, development and innovation teams, about 100 teammates, which are creating the company’s next generation basketball, running, training, golf, sportstyle and outdoor footwear. The 70,000 square-foot building sits in Southwest Portland adjacent to the recently refurbished Duniway Park, and at the site of a former YMCA facility.
UA PDX was created to condense and accelerate the footwear and apparel design process by connecting designers and developers with an innovation team and athlete performance analytics in real-time and around the world.
“Footwear is a key driver of our long-term growth and success,” said Peter Ruppe, senior vice president for footwear at Under Armour. “We’ve established a strong foundation, and now UA PDX represents a considerable leap forward towards creating leading performance footwear designed to make athletes better.”
Under Armour has also begun to establish roots in the Portland community beyond the UA PDX facility. The company played a key role in refurbishing and updating the sports fields, running tracks and trails at Lents and Duniway Parks in downtown Portland.
