Kelsey Plum Supports UFC With Her Under Armour Sneakers
The Las Vegas Aces improved to 10-6 on Saturday after defeating the Washington Mystics. Aces guard Kelsey Plum used the opportunity to debut special UFC-inspired sneakers in a player-exclusive colorway.
A friend of UFC CEO and President Dana White, Plum is an avid fan of mixed martial arts and has previously trained at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Collaborating closely with the Under Armour team to bring these to life, Plum wore the hoop shoes proudly ahead of UFC 303. The highly anticipated event for UFC fans took place on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
These custom Women's UA Breakthru 5's feature a striking red and black color scheme with white UA Flow soles, paying homage to the colors of UFC branding.
Additionally, the heel of the shoes showcases a cage graphic reminiscent of the famed UFC octagon, while the heel loop prominently displays the UFC logo.
The Under Armour Basketball social media team posted a video on the brand's Instagram featuring Plum discussing the significance of hoop shoes with the Product Line Manager of Footwear, Steven Leonard.
Plum could barely contain her excitement when touching the kicks for the first time, "K.P. on the cage is crazy!" She continued, "And no, just because my mother's in the room, I will never be in the cage. I promise you that."
Plum discussed the materials, "It's like the leather for actual gloves and stuff. She added, "I need to send Dana [White] a little pic."
Unfortunately for athletes and fans, the UFC-inspired colorway will not be released to the public. However, online shoppers can find the shoes and other performance gear on the Under Armour website.
Plum has already debuted multiple player-exclusive colorways of the UA Breakthru 5, and fans can count on more to come. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated for all your sneaker news from the sports world and beyond.
Further Reading: Angel Reese blows kisses to the haters with her new Reebok sneakers.
PAT BENSON
Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.