Steph Curry came through for a 9-year-old fan who asked why his sneakers aren't made for girls
Riley Morrison is a nine-year-old Steph Curry fan. She plays basketball, and loves going to Golden State Warriors games with her dad, Chris. So it wasn’t surprising that Riley wanted to lace up a pair of Under Armour Curry 5’s to start her new basketball season.
But there was one problem. When Riley and her dad went to the Under Armour site and looked for Curry 5’s in her size, they couldn’t find any in the girls’ section. So Riley picked up a pen and wrote a letter to Curry, the man behind the shoe, to ask him why the Curry 5’s didn’t come in sizes for girls. Her dad posted it to Instagram.
A post shared by Chris Morrison (@morn24) on Nov 18, 2018 at 5:22pm PST
My name is Riley (just like your daughter), I’m 9 years old from Napa, California. I am a big fan of yours. I enjoy going to Warriors games with my dad. I asked my dad to buy me the new Curry 5’s because I’m starting a new basketball season. My dad and I visited the Under Armour website and were disappointed to see that there were no Curry 5’s for sale under the girls section. However, they did have them for sale under the boy’s section, even to customize. I know you support girl athletes because you have two daughters and you host an all girls basketball camp. I hope you can work with Under Armour to change this because girls want to rock the Curry 5’s too.
Riley just wants to wear sneakers designed by her favorite basketball player, which is what any young fan might want regardless of gender. She talked to Teen Vogue about why she wrote the letter, and said that it wasn’t just about her getting to wear the sneakers — she wanted all girls to have the same chance that boys do.
“I wanted to write the letter because it seems unfair that the shoes are only in the boys’ section and not in the girls’ section,” Riley tells Teen Vogue. “I wanted to help make things equal for all girls, because girls play basketball, too.”
Riley’s letter got Curry’s attention. He wrote her back with good news, as well as a few surprises.
Appreciate you helping us get better Riley! We got you. #MoreToCome pic.twitter.com/UBoTklvwhg
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) November 29, 2018
I appreciate your concern and have spent the last 2 days talking to Under Armour about how we can fix the issue. Unfortunately, we have labeled smaller sizes as “boys” on the website. We are correcting this NOW! I want to make sure you can wear my kicks proudly — so I am going to send you a pair of Curry 5’s now AND you’ll be one of the first kids to get the Curry 6. Lastly, we have something special in the works for International Women’s Day on March 8, and I want you to celebrate with me! More to come on that, but plan to be in Oakland that night! All the Best!
Not only did Curry talk to Under Armour about fixing the problem (and getting the shoes categorized correctly on the website), he’s going to send her a pair of the shoes she wanted, plus a pair of his newest design. And there’s more — he’s planning something for International Women’s Day in March, and wants Riley to come.
It’s always surprising that a professional basketball player — or any pro athlete — would take the time to respond to a kid’s letter. But Curry takes equality for women very seriously. He and his wife, Ayesha, have two young daughters, and in August he wrote an essay for the Players’ Tribune about how personal the issue of women’s equality has become for him. He wrote about hosting his first annual all-girls basketball camp, about closing the gender pay gap, and about the future he wants for his daughters.
I want our girls to grow up knowing that there are no boundaries that can be placed on their futures, period. I want them to grow up in a world where their gender does not feel like a rulebook for what they should think, or be, or do. And I want them to grow up believing that they can dream big, and strive for careers where they’ll be treated fairly.
Sneakers are just sneakers, but it’s clear that Curry knows that the change Riley inspired — just because she asked for it — is a step in the right direction.
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Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher.
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