When it comes to sponsored NCAA teams, each sportswear company has schools they favor or go the extra mile to hook up and for Under Armour, that school is the University of Maryland.
Created for the 2012 Barclay Center Classic which pits University of Maryland Terpins against the University of Kentucky Wildcats in Brooklyn at the brand new Barclay Center, at an Under Armour event earlier in the month, we got our hands on one of the PE pairs that U of M players will lace up that game; the Under Armour Charge BB – ‘Maryland’s Finest’.
There are several nods to the state of Maryland and the game against big-brand sponsored Kentucky designed into the shoe. Obvious sneaker inspirations like the Brooklyn Dodgers-esque font used to spell out “MARYLAND” on the tongue are complemented with more hidden ones like the message on the insoles. The ‘Maryland’s Finest’ Under Armour Charge BB is guaranteed to turn heads whenever worn and also performs very well.
The Charge BB was created on the idea of having a ball sneaker feel like a low-top but have the support that a high-top provides. Similar to the Juke, the Charge BB has HeatGear material lining the entire upper which is necessary due to the amount of heat your feel build up in the high Under Armour’s proprietary Micro G foam cushioning is something that all hoopers should be familiar with and if not take the time out to do so.
This sneaker was seen on the feet of Baltimore native and new Under Armour endorsee Will Barton at the Elite 24 Midnight run and isn’t the only Under Armour PE for the U of M Terrapins that we’ve seen before the start of the NCAA basketball season for University of Maryland.
I was given the opportunity to test out the Under Armour Charge BB at the Barclay Center with other members of basketball and sneaker media so look out for the performance review as well as more from Under Armour showcase that took place before the games.
University of Maryland laces these up against the University of Kentucky in a game played at the Barclay Center on November 9th. No word on if these will hit store shelves so keep it locked to our KICKS section for info on these and more.
(Images via Darkwing Productions)
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