Under Armour Unveils Harper 2 ‘Miami Bryce’ in Time for All-Star Game In Miami

Never mind that Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper was born after the TV show “Miami Vice” enjoyed its run, that hasn’t stopped Under Armour from debuting the “Miami Bryce” limited edition cleat during All-Star festivities, the first cleat in the brand-new Harper 2 line.

Harper launched his first signature cleat with Under Armour, the Harper One, at the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego, and this follow-up version plays off the original design, with updates from the Baltimore-based company.

Under Armour footwear director Dave Stakel said the new version was built around Harper’s style of play. The lightweight cleat—it drops nearly two ounces out of the first signature—helps Harper showcase his speed, but the Harper 2 was also built for stability to enhance the powerful movements of the outfielder.

For construction, the Harper 2 includes a woven upper ventilated to fit and feel like a sneaker. A neoprene collar and strap offer snugness and Under Armour used its Charged cushioning foam—the same technology found in Stephen Curry’s signature basketball line—while a new 10-stud cleat plate comes in a hybrid form that rides lower to the ground for a more stable foundation. The three-three-four design of the studs offers six metal spikes in two different lengths in the forefoot for speed, power and traction, while the four molded cleats in the rear of the cleat plate offer additional comfort needed for baseball.

“Bryce has been incredibly involved in the creation process with each cleat,” Stakel said. “Many of the changes made above were influenced in some way from Bryce’s feedback on the Harper One.”

The first colorway of the Harper 2, the Miami Bryce, offers imagery on the upper reminiscent of Miami, such as palm trees, and a striking pink-and-light-blue palette. The Harper logo comes on the tongue, as it did in the first signature style.

“Clearly Bryce has a great sense of style and our goal with this cleat was to take Bryce’s direction of going super clean and modern, with rich materials and details,” Stakel said. “We started with a couple of options and worked through different iterations with Bryce until we locked in on this final design.”

The Miami Bryce, launching at $130, will come as just the first in a series of colorways from Under Armour over the next year. Expect plenty more in the way of modern designs, even if they don’t all have TV shows to inspire the name.

— Tim Newcomb covers gear and business for Baseball America. Follow him on Twitter at @tdnewcomb.