Under Armour Makes A Splash At CES

Under Armour

began as an apparel company that aimed to "change the way that athletes dress," but at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, the firm unveiled its latest project— to "change the way athletes live." Together with HTC, Under Armour has

a line of connected devices that can track fitness and health metrics and help athletes live better. This endeavor could mark the first time that an apparel company was able to break into the tech space successfully and if the devices are well received, it could spell success for shareholders.

Under Armour's latest gadgets include everything from heart rate tracking headphones to a fitness band that will rival the FitBit. The company has been working to design functional items that fit together with athletes' training and lifestyle in order to help them make better decisions. One such product is a scale that measures both weight and body fat percentage, but connects to Under Armour's fitness tracking software to help people make daily decisions that correspond to their health and fitness goals. The company is also leveraging its purchase of MapMyFitness with a new running shoe that comes equipped with a chip that logs a user's runs directly into the MapMyRun app.

Tying the entire suite of products together is an app called Record, which includes elements from both MapMyFitness and MyFitnessPal. Everything from sleep to nutrition can be recorded within the app and it allows users to connect with friends and create challenges together.

The new products are certainly receiving a lot of buzz. Under Armour has

assembled

an all star cast of athletes including Michael Phelps and Tony Romo to unveil the devices at CES this week, a move that has drummed up a great deal of interest. It remains to be seen whether or not the general public will be willing to subscribe to Under Armour's connected devices, but many analysts say the product line's success would be a major boost to the company's bottom line.