At Kingmakers, we recognize individuals who quietly shape the future through creativity, innovation, and influence. These are the true "Kingmakers"—leaders whose work goes beyond the spotlight to create lasting impact.
Steven Leonard, a visionary at Under Armour, exemplifies this ethos. As a product line manager, Steven has blended his passion for sport and design, leading groundbreaking projects that merge function with storytelling. Our collaboration on the Kelsey Plum "All the Smoke" humidor was a testament to this. Steven’s unique ability to bring together two seemingly different worlds—luxury and performance—showcases what it means to be a Kingmaker. In this interview, he delves into his journey from professional baseball to designing footwear that not only serves athletes but tells their stories, offering a glimpse into the future of sportswear and the evolving WNBA market.
“Heating up the Business”
KM: Can you share a bit about your background and how you got started in the shoe design industry?
SL: My role is product line manager (PLM) so I oversee the process and idea creation for our athletes’ products. I work with a team of designers to execute and bring our collective ideas to life. Growing up, I was always inspired by skate, surf and music culture and the stories that different creators in those spaces would tell. This curiosity to create would eventually lead me into starting my own baseball bat company my senior year of high school, which really gave me the business bug.
I put this venture on the back burner eventually to pursue my baseball career. In 2015, I was taken in the MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies, and I would spend the next few years in their organization.
Post playing career, I came to Under Armour with the ambition to work with our athletes to create not only their on-field/court looks but also to help them create stories to tell through their footwear. In 2020, I joined the athlete outfitting team to do exactly this.
KM: What is a project that stands out that you and the team at Under Armour have created, and why does it stand out?
SL: I am extremely fortunate to work on many cool projects at Under Armour but I would have to say our Kingmakers x Kelsey Plum project was one of my favorites. I always love to bring together two worlds that people wouldn’t expect to see playing in the same space.
When we shared the initial championship celebration shoe with Kelsey, we all locked in on the idea of having it presented in a humidor.
Collaborating with the Kingmakers team made the story of that shoe that much more authentic and special for Kelsey, and as a bonus, it was truly amazing to learn from the team as a cigar fan myself.
"I always love to bring together two worlds that people wouldn’t expect to see playing in the same space."
KM: Can you describe a particularly challenging project you’ve worked on at Under Armour, and how you overcame the challenges?
SL: I wouldn’t say one project stands out to me here, but I think it would be interesting for people to know that as a brand, it generally takes 12-15 months to get a new shoe into the marketplace. In the world I work in with athlete-specific product, we are normally working with a much smaller window of 6-9 months. That always brings pressure and challenges to our work but it is a part of the job and an environment I’ve learned to thrive in.
KM: What inspired the design of Kelsey Plum’s shoe "All the Smoke", and what unique elements did you incorporate into their design?
SL:The notorious picture of Kelsey after her 1st WNBA championship smoking the cigar was 100% our inspiration here. We brought in the colors from the cigar band, as well as gold to celebrate her back-to-back championships. We wanted the heel panel to feel like a cigar band as well so we embossed different elements of the artwork to give it a unique feel.
KM: What was your role in bringing the KP "Shoemidor" to life?
SL: I managed the process of the creation of the shoe and the story around it. It was a dream to get the shoes in a humidor for that moment and working with the Kingmakers team to bring that to life along with custom cigars and a working Shoemidor was just surreal. One of the coolest projects by far I’ve worked on in this role.
"I want to keep providing a canvas for our athletes to make an impact and tell their stories"
KM: Where do you see the market for performance footwear, particularly for the WNBA, heading in the next 5-10 years?
SL: If you look at the success of the shoes worn by players in the WNBA, it speaks volumes about their impact in the market today. It is amazing to see so many athletes having their shoes popularized not only in the W but in the NBA and college ranks. The momentum these players are creating is something everyone can love.
KM: How do you envision the relationship between sportswear brands and professional athletes evolving in the future?
SL: The sky's the limit here! The influence these athletes have is incredible and extends well beyond their on-court styles to their off-court fashion. We're witnessing these athletes make a significant impact on major brands, shaping trends both on and off the field.
KM: From a designer’s (PLM) perspective, what are your key priorities when starting a new project?
SL: For me, it is all about the athlete and their story. We want the athletes to feel connected to their footwear and be able to express themselves by sharing the stories they want to tell. I am always studying them and asking them questions to help spark ideas to bring to the table, but at the end of the day, the athlete is the key to these projects.
KM: What tools or resources do you feel are essential for a designer (PLM) to stay innovative and relevant in the industry?
SL: I would recommend building a diverse network of individuals with whom you feel comfortable sharing your ideas. At Under Armour, we have some amazing teammates and I’ve established a group of colleagues who can help me refine and think through my latest ideas. I trust their opinions and know they look at things from unique perspectives, and this has been extremely helpful when I am in the creation or storytelling process.
KM: Can you share a memorable moment or experience from your career that had a significant impact on your approach to (PLM) design?
SL: I believe my overall career at Under Armour has shaped my approach. I started in the call center, listening to our consumers report issues with our products. There I was able to connect with the consumer, learn the systems and really understand the brand. I would then move on to Product Testing, which is a development function of the process. In this role, I would get to learn how a shoe is built and how to work with the “triad”(PLM/Designer/Developer) to provide feedback to impact the product. Moving into my current role, I was able to use all of this prior experience and develop further to ultimately elevate our creation process.
KM:What do you see as the most important trends in footwear design today, and how do you incorporate them into your work?
SL: While I always pay attention to ongoing trends, in my role I am tasked with “heating up the business”. This essentially means creating a trend to bring in consumers so that they can experience more of our products. So while I keep an eye out as to what is happening in footwear generally, we are more focused on pushing the boundaries of our work.
KM: As a (PLM) designer, what are your personal goals and aspirations for the future?
SL: I want to keep providing a canvas for our athletes to make an impact and tell their stories. I want to influence the next generation of athletes and storytellers by the projects I am fortunate enough to work on.
You can follow Steven Leonards journey here:
Instagram: @solesbystvn
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-leonard-5a4031b2/