Nick Wass/Associated Press Just over three months after nine-year-old Riley Morrison penned a letter to Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry expressing frustration that she couldn't find any of his signature shoes in the girls section of Under Armour's website, Morrison will be able to find shoes she helped Curry design. Under Armour announced on Thursday night that the UA ICON Curry 6 United We Win colorway, available beginning on International Women's Day on March 8, includes a personal touch from Morrison. Morrison designed different sockliners that read "Be Fearless," "Girl Power," "Girls Hoop Too" and "Rock The Currys." "I was immediately impressed when I saw Riley's letter," Curry said. "That a nine-year-old girl had the courage to use her voice to call attention to an issue and keep us accountable." Morrison and her family will be special guests of Curry's at the Warriors' Friday night game to celebrate International Women's Day, and chances are she will be rocking her new kicks. The ICON Curry 6s will be available on Under Armour's website as well as the SC30 x Oakland pop-up shop, starting at $130.<doc-sep>Riley Morrison probably doesn’t have a resume. Nine-year-olds generally don’t. If she did, she could honestly state on it that she contributed design touches to Under Armour’s newest signature sneaker with NBA star Stephen Curry. For International Women’s Day today (March 8), the company released its latest version of the Curry 6 sneaker, in a color combo of purples and white, and more importantly, featuring a lining designed by Morrison. It shows two girls playing basketball, surrounded by phrases such as “Girls Hoop Too,” “Girl Power,” “Be Fearless,” and “Be the Change.” Under Armour The Curry 6 “United We Win,” with sockliner by Riley Morrison. A few months ago, Morrison had written to Curry lamenting that girls’ sizes for his Curry 5 sneaker weren’t available on Under Armour’s website. She’s a fan of Curry and the team he plays for, the Golden State Warriors, and wanted the sneakers for her upcoming basketball season. “I hope you can work with Under Armour to change this because girls want to rock the Curry 5’s too,” it said. Morrison’s father posted the letter to Instagram. Curry (whose daughter is also named Riley) has talked about the need for women to be treated and paid equally and supported programs for young female athletes. When the letter came to his attention, he posted a reply to Twitter, saying he was talking to Under Armour about fixing the issue. “Unfortunately, we have labeled smaller sizes as ‘Boys’ on the website,” he explained. “We are correcting this now!” An Under Armour spokesperson described it to CBS News as a “simple yet critical error.” The boys’ and girls’ shoes aren’t actually shaped any differently. Under Armour just hadn’t put them in the girls section of its site. It was a lapse that critics could argue points to a deeper set of assumptions about who plays sports and is worth serving as a customer. In fact, sports brands including Nike and Adidas have stepped up their efforts to serve women over the past few years, acknowledging that they hadn’t done enough previously, while more recently both Nike and Under Armour have come under fire for the boys-club cultures of their corporate workplaces. In his Tweet, Curry wrote, “Appreciate you helping us get better Riley!” and asked her to celebrate International Women’s Day with him. In a press release for the new shoe, Under Armour said that it asked Morrison “to add her personal design touch” to the Curry 6 “United We Win” colorway to honor her actions. He also surprised her at a pop-up in downtown Oakland, where the Warriors play, to present her with the new shoes. Under Armour Riley and Steph. “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,” Morrison said in a statement shared by Under Armour. “This has been such an incredible experience.” The sneaker is perhaps a more important step than it may seem. Matt Powell, the sports industry analyst for research firm NPD Group, told ESPN that typically only female athletes, such as WNBA stars, have marketed their shoes specifically to women and girls. More often brands have just sold smaller sizes of men’s shoes to women. Curry and Under Armour, with help from Morrison, are taking a step in the right direction.<doc-sep>Riley Morrison, a 9-year-old girl from Napa, wrote a letter to Warriors guard Stephen Curry in November, asking why Under Armour didn’t offer a girls’ version of Curry’s basketball shoes on its website. Friday night, Morrison sat courtside watching Curry’s pregame warmups — a memorable way to celebrate International Women’s Day. But their connection runs deeper. Curry and Under Armour also released a new shoe Friday, featuring a personal design touch from Morrison. Proceeds from sales of the shoe will fund an annual $30,000 college scholarship. Now Playing: Warriors guard Stephen Curry talks about honoring 9-year-old Riley Morrison and Oakland Tech senior Vivian Wu on International Women's Day. Video: San Francisco Chronicle Bryant Barr, who was Curry’s college teammate at Davidson and now runs his “SC30” company, sat with Morrison and her family before the game against Denver. Barr told the story of Curry composing his response to Morrison’s letter on his iPad, first while riding the Warriors’ team bus in Toronto and later over dinner at their hotel. “She’s been the catalyst, the first domino in all this,” Barr said. “She should be so proud that a handwritten letter has really unfolded into a lot of amazing things.” Interactive How Curry's 3-point shooting changed the game Stephen Curry has not only led a Warriors resurgence since entering the league, he has changed the game with his long-distance shooting. Vivian Wu, an Oakland Tech High senior with a 4.2 grade-point average, is the first scholarship recipient. Wu, Morrison and Curry convened at midcourt during a brief halftime ceremony Friday night, to formally announce the scholarship. Ron Kroichick is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rkroichick@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ronkroichick<doc-sep>Riley Morrison wrote to Curry in November 2018 asking why Under Armour didn't make his shoe in girls' sizes A 9-year-old girl who asked Stephen Curry why his Under Armour shoes did not come in her size has now added her own personal design touch to the latest release of the Golden State Warriors star’s signature sneakers, just in time for International Women’s Day. When Riley Morrison wrote a letter to Curry in November 2018, the three-time NBA champion immediately responded back to let her know he was going to work with Under Armour to correct the problem in time for the release of his shoes in March. But Curry had a little bit more in store for the young girl. Get push notifications with news, features and more. “I was immediately impressed when I saw Riley’s letter; that a nine-year-old girl had the courage to use her voice to call attention to an issue and keep us accountable,” Curry said in an announcement of the UA ICON Curry 6. The basketball star asked Riley for help designing the “United We Win” colorway of the shoes, which features a blend of purple and deep orchid with white. riley-morrison-1 Credit: Under Armour “She was focused on the opportunity for ALL girls, not just herself. She’s been an amazing catalyst for change — not only with my product but also with the entire Under Armour brand. She is inspiring, and wise beyond her years,” Curry continued. According to Under Armour, Morrison helped create the sock liner for the shoe, which features two girls playing basketball along with inspirational phrases such as “Be Fearless,” “Girl Power,” “Be the Change,” “Girls Hoop Too,” and “Rock the Currys.” riley-morrison-6 Riley Morrison and Steph Curry | Credit: Under Armour “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,” Morrison said. “This has been such an incredible experience.” The company says sales of the United We Win colorway will go toward a scholarship for 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 United We Win colorway is available at UA.com and at the SC30 x Oakland pop-up shop in downtown Oakland for $130 starting on Friday. riley-morrison-2 UA ICON Curry 6 “United We Win” | Credit: Under Armour riley-morrison-3 UA ICON Curry 6 “United We Win” | Credit: Under Armour The release of the shoes on International Women’s Day is another action Curry has taken recently to encourage women and girls in sports and beyond. In August, Curry hosted a basketball camp near Oakland that included 200 girls, and penned an essay in The Players’ Tribune that called on society to step up for women and push for gender equality. “I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that the idea of women’s equality has become a little more personal for me, lately, and a little more real,” said Curry, who shares three children — daughters Riley, 6, Ryan, 3, and baby son, Canon — with wife Ayesha Curry.<doc-sep>
Stephen Curry and Under Armour have revealed an all-new Curry 6 colorway designed by nine-year old Riley Morrison in celebration of International Women's Day today, March 9. You might recall, Morrison penned a letter to Curry back in November questioning why his Under Armour Curry 5 sneakers aren't available in girl's sizes. Curry, a father of two daughters, took time to respond to Riley with his own hand written letter, in which he hinted at something special planned for International Women's Day. Under Armour and Curry asked Riley to add her personal design touch to the UA ICON Curry 6 "United We Win" colorway, featuring a blend of purple and deep orchid with white. The kicks will be available today, March 8. In addition to the “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. According to UA, a second available sockliner includes the United We Win message. Consumers also have the option to customize the sockliner with their own photo. (Image Via Under Armour) The UA Icon Curry 6 "United We Win," as well as a United We Win t-shirt collection, will be available at UA.com and the SC30 x Oakland pop-up shop located at 472 9th Street in downtown Oakland for $130 starting today, March 8. 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. (Image Via Under Armour) (Image Via Under Armour) (Image Via Under Armour)