Under Armour has edged out Nike once again.
The Baltimore, Md.-based activewear brand on Thursday named Dave Dombrow chief creative officer — a new and much bigger role for him at a company he left in February, reportedly to join Nike. But a stiff non-compete contract would have meant Dombrow couldn’t have started design work at Nike until 2017, so in the end Under Armour won out.
Dombrow, who returns to the company on Aug. 1, was previously Under Armour’s senior vice president, creative footwear and accessories. In the newly created role as chief design officer, he will guide the design of the brand’s entire collection of footwear, apparel and accessories, the company said.
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Kip Fulks, the company’s founding partner, said, “In his time at Under Armour, Dave played an instrumental role in creating innovative and cutting-edge footwear with international acclaim.” He said that as the company evolves innovation and design as it expands its global growth, Dombrow’s “unique abilities to challenge the status quo and to anticipate the needs of the future athlete are exactly what we need to further our success.”
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The company said that when Dombrow was at the company in 2010, one of his achievements was his co-creation of the UA SpeedForm Apollo, a shoe that utilizes a full-length 4D foam sock liner to conform to the exact shape of an individual’s foot. He was also the visionary for Curry One, Stephen Curry’s first signature shoe.
Dombrow began his design career at Nike, from 2000 to 2003. His LinkedIn profile said after Nike he joined GBMI and then went on to Puma, before joining Under Armour in 2010.
Dombrow said, “I continue to be humbled and amazed by what we have built together, fueled by the core commitment to innovation and design, as well as the entrepreneurial drive to make all athletes better.”