Nike gives Caitlin Clark special treatment LeBron James and other stars didn’t get
Nike is working with WNBA and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark to design her signature shoe expected in 2026.
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Caitlin Clark getting public release of Nike custom PE sneakers before LeBron James
Caitlin Clark has become the most popular athlete in sports. She has not only transformed the WNBA, but her popularity has spread far and wide throughout the world. That has seen her become a household name, something that has not gone unnoticed.
Wilson noticed that early on and made her the first athlete since Michael Jordan to be their signature brand ambassador. They designed a Caitlin Clark collection, which sold out faster than what the company had projected. They have since had to restock those designer basketballs on more than one occasion.
Her other major sponsor, Gatorade, brought her along at Super Bowl LIX to be their main attraction. Gatorade has a plethora of top athletes on their roster, but still chose her, confirming her household name status.
Recently, Nike CEO Elliott Hill confirmed that they have started working with Clark to release her first signature shoe. So far, she has been donning various iterations of the Nike Kobe lineup. In the latter part of her rookie season, she wore custom Player Editions designed by the sneaker giant.
But as per @Allinlivee, a popular sneaker news account, one of those Player Editions will hit the market. They claim that the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Indiana Fever” special edition sneaker will be available for the public in May this year. That is rare as PE’s usually do not hit the open market.
This also means that Nike is marketing off her fame, something they have never done for the likes of LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star has numerous custom colorways in his long lineup of sneakers. But his PE’s have never hit the open market. It seems Nike know that those Indiana Fever specials will find a lot of takers.
Caitlin Clark’s signature shoe could launch in 2026
If Nike is releasing the Indiana Fever custom colorway to the public, that means they are banking on massive sales of that shoe. That also could indicate that it will be a while before Caitlin Clark’s signature shoe launches.
A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe was announced in May last year. She showed off her Nike A’One earlier last week. However, the shoe will only be available to the public in May 2025. Going by that timeline, it seems it takes a year from design to production to hitting the shelves.
Elliott Hill stated in late January that the WNBA Rookie of the Year was in their design houses working on her shoe. It is not known if she has been working with them for a while. But going by that timeline, the recently turned 23-year-old’s shoe will launch next year.
They could then hit then market in May, just as her third WNBA season starts. Until then it seems the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Indiana Fever” edition will be the one fans will look to buy. The sales of that shoe will give the company an indication of what to expect when her signature shoe launches.
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Joseph Varghese
(2470 Articles Published)