It looks like concerns that athletic apparel maker Under Armour Inc (UA) would be adversely impacted by unseasonable warm weather early in the fourth quarter of 2015 were unmerited.

UA just put up some numbers that not only indicated weather isn’t a factor in the sports apparel market, but underscore just how unstoppable the company may be; the fourth quarter was the eighth in a row the Under Armour earnings report indicated growth of more than 20%.

Critics will point out that the company largely bought its growth, tapping into the star-power of up-and-coming sensations like golfer Jordan Spieth and the NBA’s Stephen Curry rather than touting the form and function of its products. That leveraging and personality-marketing prowess, however, is the very reason investors may want to cheer (and own) UA.

Under Armour Earnings

Last quarter, UA posted a profit of 48 cents per share on $1.17 billion worth of revenue. Both figures topped analyst estimates of 46 cents per share and sales of $1.12 billion, and both numbers were better than the year-ago figures of 40 cents and $895.2 million, respectively. That’s a 20% growth rate for earnings, and a 31% increase in sales, for those keeping score.

Footwear was an especially bright spot, with shoe sales growing 95% year-over-year, reaching $167 million worth of revenue, most of which was spurred by the company’s affiliation with basketball star Stephen Curry. Running shows, however, also made a strong showing after the company ramped up the number of products it offers in that category.

CEO Kevin Plank commented “The sell-through on the Curry Two was like nothing we’d ever seen before, which is the same thing people say after they see Curry play,” underscoring the importance of consumers’ linking an all-star they like to a brand name they can buy.

Apparel sales were also up a healthy 22% from Q4 2014’s total. That’s important, as at $865 million worth of revenue, the category still makes up the bulk of the company’s business.

On a full-year basis, revenues grew 28% to $3.96 billion, and earnings improved by 11%, reaching $1.05 per share.

Looking Ahead

As impressive as its fourth quarter was, the company doesn’t expect the current year to be any less impressive. Under Armour offered revenue guidance of $4.95 billion, vs. analyst expectations of $4.9 billion. That forecasted figure is 25% better than 2015’s top line.

Footwear will continue to be an integral part of that growth, even if not the lion’s share of the company’s overall revenue. Plank made a point of saying Under Armour in 2016 will double the number of running-shoe styles it currently makes, with eight of those products planned to sport price tags of more than $100 a pair. The end goal is to turn athletic shoes into more than a $1 billion line. Given footwear’s 57% growth last year, that goal isn’t out of reach.

And it’s not as if the company is hitching its wagon just to Stephen Curry and the shoes he sells. In the same sense the company didn’t rest its laurels solely on Jordan Spieth when it extended a deal with the golfer in early 2015, the company is already looking past Curry to maximize its affiliation with Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton.

Newton, who is already largely expected to be selected as the NFL’s 2015-2016 MVP, will also be making his Super Bowl debut on Feb. 7. If that goes well (that is, if the Panthers win), it could lead to yet another solid star-driven quarter for UA.

Having mastered the art of turning celebrity into revenue, there’s little doubt UA will tap into one of the the next big names in sports after Newton. That IS the business.

UA shares won’t come cheap to interested buyers. The trailing price-earnings of 84 and forward-looking P/E of 60.9 (after Thursday’s 20% pop) are unpalatable for most investors, even knowing the current year is apt to be marked by an extended string of earnings and revenue beats.

But, inasmuch as it’s a story stock — and such stocks are more about the rhetoric, momentum and growth rates and are less about that stock’s value — UA may well be worth a shot, provided it’s kept on a short leash and not stepped into while in the middle of a surge like Thursday’s.

As of this writing, James Brumley did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.