Under Armour’s second-quarter Performance Training Footwear start helped drive revenues up 30 percent in the quarter, but the debut also contributed to a 75 percent slide in profits.

The Baltimore-based performance apparel maker on Tuesday reported second-quarter net income of $1.4 million, down from $5.7 million in the same period a year ago.

The company on May 3 began selling cross-trainers and said marketing and transportation expenses tied to the debut would affect profits in the first half of the year.

The news didn’t appear to faze Under Armour Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Plank, who during a conference call said the company traditionally expects profits to spike in the second half of the year, when Under Armour rolls out new products for the back-to-school and holiday shopping periods.

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“The athletic industry stood up and took notice when we launched Performance Trainers,” Plank said. “Our launch was everything we hoped it would be.”

Revenue jumped to $156.7 million in the second quarter, up from $120.5 million in the same period last year.

Footwear sales accounted for 29 percent of second-quarter revenue, up from 17 percent a year ago, said Under Armour Chief Financial Officer Brad Dickerson.

Shares of Under Armour closed Tuesday at $28.40, up 6.7 percent from its closing price of $26.63 on Monday.

Plank reiterated Under Armour is a “growth company,” with long-term goals of introducing a running shoe in the first quarter of 2009 and expanding its international presence.

“We did more than 90 percent of our business in the U.S. this quarter,” Plank said. “There are other large markets out there like China, Brazil, Russia and India, where we have yet to sell our first shirt.”

While Under Armour has maintained a dominant position in the performance apparel category, expanding its product line should continue to affect profitability, said Brady Lemos, an analyst for Morningstar who follows Under Armour.

“Footwear generates lower margins than Under Armour’s core performance apparel,” Lemos wrote in an analyst note Monday. “Product development, marketing and international expansion will drive operating costs even higher.”

acannarsa@baltimoreexaminer.com