Tip off: If the shoe isn’t made to fit

Tip+off%3A+If+the+shoe+isnt+made+to+fit

Jordan Russell, Sports Editor

After receiving a letter from a young girl commenting on the absence of girls’ sizes for his signature shoe the Curry 5’s, Golden State Warriors basketball star Steph Curry is looking to make a few changes to his shoe line.  

Nine-year-old Riley Morrison crafted the letter with her father to highlight the fact that Curry’s Under Armour collection currently only lists options for young boys. In the letter, Morrison asked Curry to try to add options for girls in the future..

Although it has been over 46 years since Title IX law decreed the basis of sex should not be a factor of participation when it comes to activities and programs, female athletes are still an afterthought in many aspects of sports — even when it comes to simple matters such as athletic attire.

The basketball shoe industry has been dominated by male NBA players’ brands for decades as it has been more than 20 years since Nike Air Swoopes, named after Sheryl Swoopes, debuted as the first WNBA line, according to The New York Times.

As a result of the limited number of basketball shoe options for women, young girls often turn to the men’s section to find the shoes they need, an outcome that can often lead them to think their participation in sports is not as important as men’s.

While it is true that we don’t have as many women representatives when it comes to shoe lines, female athletes still have the same need for athletic footwear as men.   

As for Steph Curry’s response to Morrison’s letter, he promised changes would be made immediately and sure enough, Under Armour recently stated that next year’s Curry 6’s will be listed under a co-gender section and not be labeled just for boys.

Although popular NBA lines such as Steph Curry, Lebron James and Kevin Durant may make more sense financially, it remains important to include women’s and young girl’s sizing in marketing and sales.

Women maintain the same rights to play as men do which is why young fiery girls like Morrison are the types of leaders women need to keep pushing for change and fight to be more than just an afterthought.