Super Rare NWT 
2018 Under Armour Flawless 11.75 Glove


Under Armour’s first fielding glove offering comes after extensive Product Development, Materials and Field Testing. Why? The expectation is to create the best feeling and performing product possible. Experts with a combined 50+ years of experience designing gloves were partnered with one of the top baseball glove manufacturers in the world. This collection of tribal knowledge dedicated themselves to identifying the best materials, preferred patterns, and master craftsmen to entrust with this important product launch. The result born is Under Armour’s Flawless line of fielding gloves. Top 5% Japanese tanned Steer hide shells, world-class Pittard’s leather palm lining, and extensive hand shaping by expert glove technicians combine to create the perfect balance of comfort and long-lasting performance. FLAWLESS period.

• Top 5% Japanese tanned steer hide provides soft hand and unmatched durability
• World-Class Pittard's palm lining enhances the feel
• Premium grade, U.S. tanned lacing add strength and support
• Rolled leather welting for long lasting shape
• Professionally validated patterns for every position on the diamond

Glove Specifications
Pattern: 11.75"" infield model
Color: Black
Web: Single Post
Back: Open
Leather: Japanese Tanned Steerhide
Positions: Infield
Series: Genuine Pro


 

 

Under Armour glove maker Ryan Lawrence knew authenticity in the baseball world required top-quality construction. He didn’t want to enter the fielding glove world with some crazy new material or futuristic design. He wanted Under Armour to prove it knew how to make top-quality products for baseball, steeped in tradition and craftsmanship.


“A fielding glove is, I would argue, the most important product to a baseball player. Kids go to sleep with their glove, dads pass down their glove. We understand baseball. We have baseball players in-house and we wanted to make a serious statement about our commitment to baseball and make a product that agrees with players serious about baseball.”

Under Armour kicked off the effort in 2018 with two high-end glove offerings, the $350 Flawless line and the $250 Genuine Pro line, to show the brand’s ability to create quality product.

“I really was seeking to make a glove that felt and looked like a baseball glove that people were expecting to see and give it a little Under Armour design,” Lawrence said. “We wanted to make something authentic to the sport, out of respect for the sport. We need to earn our stripes before we have license to be innovative or something better than other brands.”

On a design front, Under Armour kept the all-leather designs traditional, with a patch on the back calling out the hand-crafted nature. All UA logos come embroidered and don’t expect molded plastic or rubber. Both glove lines come in Japanese steer hide, with the top five percent of the hides reserved for the Flawless line to create the “most premium offering.”

Inside the gloves, the Flawless line uses a slightly stiffer felt for structural support and Pittard sheepskin lining for the most premium moisture management. The Genuine Pro has a steer hide palm lining.

Each design comes with a full line, from 11.5-inch, 11.75-inch, 12-inch and 12.75-inch versions, including first base and catchers’ mitts. With multiple infield and a single outfield design, Under Armour paired the most popular webbing options with sizing—an I-web with the 11.5-inch and a modified trap or single-post web with the 11.75-inch, for example—to cover the most common designs. 

“The goal is to have something that services each position on the field,” Lawrence said. “Where we take it from there is that we need to start showing more depth of product.” 

“Our in-line stuff is meant to be accepted by a general population with neutral colors,” Lawrence says.

But the 100 to 200 special-edition gloves in the upcoming program show off the colorful looks possible from Under Armour without needing to stock every color in every design.

Getting to the final result on the Flawless and Genuine Pro required over a year of testing. Under Armour joined with teams of high school athletes to test out everything from colors to branding.

“We wanted to make sure the gloves were grounded in something the consumer wanted,” Lawrence said. “The colors we are using and the way we are using the colors were approved by core athletes.”