Through her second season with the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark has released multiple Player Edition sneakers through her partnership with Nike. Her signature shoe is still not out yet, though – and WNBA legend Diana Taurasi said Clark should be the next player to launch one.
Clark signed a lucrative endorsement deal with Nike ahead of her rookie season with the Fever last year, which said she would receive a signature shoe at some point. She has launched multiple PEs, including a Kobe V Protro in Fever colors, and anticipation is growing for her sneaker.
Taurasi – who also had a signature shoe – is part of the group waiting for Nike to release Clark’s shoe. She said her kids will wear it once it officially drops.
“Oh, Caitlin, of course,” Taurasi told Front Office Sports when asked which WNBA player should get the next signature shoe. “I know she has some … PEs, little colorways. But you can do that on NikeID. The next Caitlin shoe should be the next one. My kids will be wearing it.”
Multiple WNBA players have released signature shoes in recent years. Sabrina Ionescu and A’ja Wilson both launched sneakers through partnerships with Nike, and Angel Reese announced her signature shoe with Reebok will launch next year. But Clark’s are still in the works, although there was speculation Nike could rush it to time the launch with the All-Star Game in Indianapolis last month.
However, it’s still a waiting game as fans await Caitlin Clark’s sneaker to drop. When that happens, sneaker insider Nick DePaula predicted it could result in a huge win for Nike. He thinks it could turn into a nine-figure payoff for the shoewear giant.
“Signature shoes, I would say in the W, there was obviously a 10-year window where there weren’t any players with a signature,” DePaula said last month. “We’ve now seen Sabrina’s line take off. Her line, there were 54 NBA players that wore it last season. It’s become one of the biggest businesses in signature shoes. A’ja Wilson now has had a successful launch, as well.
“I think when Caitlin’s shoe comes out, I think it can be a $100 million business. I think it could become a top-five signature franchise not just in the W, but across basketball. That would be one of the reasons I would’ve maybe rushed it. But of course, you want to get it right.”
