Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, once got candid about his preferences for the American sports equipment brand Under Armour while talking about never wearing Nike shoes in his life.
The association between Michael Phelps and Under Armour dates back to 2010, when the latter signed a three-year deal with the former athlete to promote their brand, as Phelps had established himself as one of the topmost sporting entities by then.
The Baltimore connection between the two is also one of the common factors; the brand capitalized on Phelps' image during the 2016 Olympics when the swimmer won five Olympic golds and a silver at the event.
However, it was during the same year that quite a few eyebrows were raised about their collaboration following Michael Phelps' appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated donning Nike, which was Team USA's sponsor at the time.
But the swimmer once admitted that he has never worn Nike and said:
"To be honest, I have never worn a pair of Nikes in my entire life. I couldn't even wear Nikes when I was with Speedo, before Under Armour. I've literally never tried on a pair of Nike shoes," he told Adweek in March 2016.
But in August 2016, he appeared in Nike gear alongside Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky as the three posed for Sports Illustrated following their dominant run in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The swimmer also wore Nike shoes while standing on the podium of the event, but Phelps clarified saying that he did so due to sponsorship obligations and not personal choice.
Under Armour's advertisement with Michael Phelps which left his family teary-eyed
Michael Phelps was featured in a commercial ad for Under Armour, where the brand showcased the struggles of an athlete's life. The ad released in December 2016 had Phelps showing the various stages of his preparation, which included working out, bone-chilling therapy sessions, sleepless nights, etc. It was a brief look into what it takes to be a champion.
When the 23-time Olympic champion's mother and wife saw the ad, it brought tears to their eyes. Talking about this, Phelps said (via ISPO.com):
"The commercial brought tears to my eyes, it brought tears to Nicole's eyes, and my mom cried more than once during the commercial. I think it's a profound commercial and that's really incredible."
The motto of the commercial was "It's what you do in the dark that puts you in the light" while the tagline was "Rule Yourself."