Retailer & Marketplace · vs · Advertiser / Brand

New Balance vs Under Armour

Structured technology and market comparison · 2026

Direct Feature Comparison

New Balance · vs · Under Armour
Primary Market / Role
New BalanceRetailer & Marketplace
Under ArmourAdvertiser / Brand
Platform Focus
New Balance

Privately held athletic footwear and apparel brand with strong D2C retail.

Under Armour

Public sportswear brand selling apparel, footwear and accessories globally.

Company Size
New Balance>5,000 employees
Under Armour>5,000 employees
Headquarters
New BalanceUS
Under ArmourUS
Year Founded
New Balance1906
Under Armour1996

Comparison Analysis

What is the main difference between New Balance and Under Armour?

When comparing New Balance and Under Armour, both platforms operate within the Loyalty Management Platform, Display, Web & Mobile, and Advertiser / Brand ecosystem. New Balance is positioned as Privately held athletic footwear and apparel brand with strong D2C retail, whereas Under Armour focuses on Public sportswear brand selling apparel, footwear and accessories globally. Decision-makers evaluate both solutions when orchestrating their commercial monetization and technology stack.

What are the top alternatives to New Balance and Under Armour?

When evaluating New Balance and Under Armour, enterprise buyers also consider other platforms in Loyalty Management Platform, Display, Web & Mobile, and Advertiser / Brand. You can discover the full competitive landscape and evaluate other alternatives by viewing their respective footprint profiles on Polaris7.

Market Signals

Recent Market Signals & Activity: New Balance vs Under Armour

Documented market movements, strategic partnerships, product releases, and regulatory developments mapped across Polaris7.

New Balance

Recent Signals

  • ·New Balance

    New Balance Awarded Contract to Provide the U.S. Military with American-Made Athletic Footwear

    New Balance has been awarded a contract to provide the U.S. military with American-made athletic footwear, announced on 18 Sep 2026.

  • ·Retail-NewsLegal

    New Balance sues Decathlon over Kiprun logo

    New Balance has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Decathlon in the United States, alleging that the logo on the Kiprun running shoes too closely resembles its distinctive 'N' emblem. The case, filed in Massachusetts federal court, targets Decathlon America and argues that consumers may confuse the Kiprun symbol with the New Balance brand. New Balance claims the 'N' has been used since the 1970s and is seeking an injunction against the use of the disputed logo as well as financial damages. The amount of damages has not been specified. The lawsuit, case number 1:26-cv-14235, follows previous trademark disputes involving New Balance's 'N' logo, including cases against Michael Kors and Nautica, and a 2017 ruling in China awarding $1.5 million.

    • New Balance filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Decathlon in the U.S. over the Kiprun shoe logo.
    • The lawsuit is filed at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts under case number 1:26-cv-14235.
    • New Balance alleges the Kiprun logo, a mirrored 'K', is too similar to its 'N' symbol used since the 1970s.
  • ·New Balance

    New Balance Welcomes Ayo Edebiri to its Family of Ambassadors

    New Balance announced that Ayo Edebiri has joined its family of ambassadors. The announcement was made on September 9, 2026.

Under Armour

Recent Signals

  • ·Retail DiveBrand partnerships / Ambassadorships

    Under Armour ends Project Rock partnership

    Under Armour has ended its decade-long partnership with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s training brand Project Rock, calling the relationship a “natural conclusion.” Project Rock, founded in 2017, will continue to be sold through October as it pursues independent product, storytelling and experience initiatives. The move follows Under Armour’s recent split with Steph Curry and comes amid a broader marketing reset in which the company is rebalancing marketing spend and shifting to new ambassadorships such as François Arnaud and K-pop group BoyNextDoor.

    • Under Armour ended its partnership with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Project Rock after roughly a decade.
    • Project Rock was founded in 2017 and developed footwear, apparel and accessories through its relationship with Under Armour.
    • Under Armour said the partnership reached a “natural conclusion” and will continue to sell Project Rock through October.
  • ·The DrumCreative & Production Services

    Under Armour's 'Rest Less' Social-First Campaign

    Mox London developed Under Armour’s 'Rest Less' creative platform after winning the account in a competitive 2025 pitch. The campaign builds a fictional luxury property, Hotel Armouré, around three contracted footballers — Ollie Watkins, Fermín López and Ferran Torres — and positions high-production films as social-first episodes that later ran on TV and in cinemas. Mox integrated hand-picked creators into the storytelling, used an AI-created teaser, and emphasized native social pacing and formats. The campaign was directed by Mackenzie Sheppard, features actor Nick Mohammed as hotel manager Fergus, and involved in-camera branding and detailed production craft. Under Armour framed 'Rest Less' as an off-season extension of its 'Be the Problem' platform and intends to continue investing in sports-born, socially native creative.

    • Mox London won the Under Armour account in a competitive pitch in 2025 with the 'Rest Less' strategy.
    • The campaign centers on a fictional luxury Hotel Armouré and stars Under Armour-contracted footballers Ollie Watkins, Fermín López and Ferran Torres.
    • The work was conceived as social-first (tease, launch, sustain), included an AI-created teaser, and later ran on television and in cinemas.
  • ·Retail-NewsFinancials

    Under Armour Cuts Revenue Outlook, Keeps Profit Targets

    Under Armour reported a 3% year-on-year revenue decline in Q1 of fiscal 2027 to $1.1 billion and has lowered its full-year revenue outlook to a mid-single-digit decline due to weaker demand, particularly in North America and Asia-Pacific. North America revenue fell 9% to $610 million while international revenue rose 5% to $490 million, with EMEA up 12%. Gross margin improved by 5.9 percentage points to 54.1% (partly due to reimbursement of prior duty costs). Operating income was $47 million (adjusted $52 million) and net income was $1 million (adjusted $21 million). Restructuring charges were $6 million in Q1, with cumulative program costs of $266 million and an expected total of about $305 million; the program is to be largely completed by end-December 2026. The company reaffirmed its operating income and adjusted EPS targets and emphasized cost discipline and a premium strategy.

    • Under Armour Q1 fiscal 2027 revenue fell 3% year-on-year to $1.1 billion.
    • North America revenue declined 9% to $610 million; international revenue increased 5% to $490 million; EMEA grew 12% while Asia-Pacific was down.
    • Gross margin rose 5.9 percentage points to 54.1%; operating income was $47 million (adjusted $52 million); net income was $1 million (adjusted $21 million).

Compare their exact ecosystem overlaps.

Explore all deep relationships in Polaris7. Discover exactly which mutual clients, integrated technologies, and overlapping partners New Balance and Under Armour share across the market ecosystem.