The Kicks You Wear, Vol. 411 — Is Nike failing Caitlin Clark? 😳
It feels like we should have this signature shoe already.
Good morning, family! Welcome back to the Kicks You Wear. Thanks so much for rocking with me today. Appreciate you giving me a bit of your time.
We’ll have our first 80-degree day of 2025 in D.C. this weekend. If you see me in some hoochie daddy on Saturday, mind your business.
Let’s rock.
Caitlin Clark’s signature moment isn’t here yet
The Caitlin Clark era at Nike will soon officially be underway. The brand is set to release two player-exclusive Kobe models later this year, according to sneaker insider Brandon1an. These will be the first Clark-related footwear offerings from the Swoosh.
The first sneaker is a midnight navy pair of Kobe 5s that will reportedly release in June. The next pair is a light armory blue pair of Kobe 6s, which will be released in October.
They’ll each retail for $190 (!!!!) and will probably sell out quickly.
This should be something that has people excited. It’s the beginning of a new era for Nike — one with loads of potential.
But, yet… The conversation around the thought of this upcoming release feels like it’s more about what could’ve been. NBA agent and marketing expert Nate Jones wonders why Nike doesn’t have a signature model ready for Clark yet.
“By far the biggest/most box office athlete in the women’s game having 2 PEs for another signature line instead of her own signature line is exhibit A of why Nike is a mess,” He posted on X. “Caitlin is lightning in a bottle. You expedite a signature!”
Footwear industry insider Nick DePaula stoked the flames by adding that a Clark shoe would be a “Top 5 signature business” upon its release.
My take: I don’t necessarily disagree.
It’s been a year since Clark and Nike put ink to paper last April. I thought Nike would go in ready with designs for Clark to choose from. She just signed with Nike, sure, but she’s been connected to Nike for years now. The process could’ve started early.
Maybe it did and we’re just not privy to it. Regardless, the WNBA season is approaching, and there’s still no word on a Clark signature.
Be smart: It typically takes 18 to 24 months to develop a sneaker of any sort, let alone a performance model. There’s a lot to do.
A brief identifying target audiences and areas for the sneaker needs to be established.
The ideation period follows that. You create the actual design and the story behind it.
Sketches have to be approved. Molds have to be created. Materials have to be chosen. The technology has to be wear-tested.
After that, it’s all about distribution and marketing. It takes a while to get that stuff to stick.
A Clark signature could theoretically skip that last step. The marketing push is already done — it’s Caitlin Clark. She doesn’t really need one.
It’s also possible to push up the rest of the process, too. Nike has done it before.
Flashback: Back in 2003, Nike brought together three of its top designers, Tinker Hatfield, Eric Avar and Aaron Cooper, to design LeBron James’ Air Zoom Generation. The shoe was reportedly wear-tested and ready in three months. James’ first signature was ready when he made his NBA debut.
That was an extraordinary circumstance, sure. But so is this one. There’s no reason that Nike couldn’t have made the same move with Clark — if not for last season, then for this year. These Kobe PEs aren’t nothing, but they’re certainly not as special as a first Caitlin Clark model.
The big picture: While it might be mildly disappointing that a Clark signature model isn’t ready yet, don’t be too harsh on Nike for it. Not yet.
The brand is going through a significant leadership transition at the moment. There are also a number of NBA and WNBA models already in the works, including A’ja Wilson’s. Maybe the brand didn’t have the manpower to get it done?
But I’ll tell you one thing — Nike better not let this moment pass. Caitlin Clark is hot as fish grease right now. Don’t let the fryer cool.
Resellers are in on the A’One
People have been excited about A’ja Wilson’s signature shoe for a long time. But are they excited enough to spend between three and five times the retail price to get a pair?
Resellers are trying to find out.
What’s happening: The homie Aaron Dodson pointed out this week that there are A’One sneakers purchased from Wilson’s pre-heat tour already listed on eBay.
The asking price? Somewhere between $450 and $2,000.
StockX prices are similar. There aren’t a ton of sizes listed, but of the available pairs, the cheapest is $569.
Don’t fret: Before you get upset about resellers completely ruining things for everyone else, there are two reasons these figures don’t matter as much as one might think.
First: Look at those listings on StockX. Nike sold hundreds of pairs of these shoes over the last couple of weeks, and there are only four sizes in total listed. That means the people who bought them legitimately want them — they’re not interested in flipping them. That’s an indication of legitimate fan support.
Second: You can ask for $1 million for a sneaker. But guess what? It doesn’t matter if no one is willing to pay it.
eBay doesn’t track sales, but those pairs have been sitting on the site since Dodson’s tweet earlier this week. And only one pair on StockX has sold to this point.
What this means: Don’t fret, A’ja Wilson fans. If you’re someone who badly wants a pair of the A’Ones, this isn’t something you should be worried about. Don’t pay hundreds of dollars over retail to catch a pair of these. Instead, practice a little patience. There will be plenty of pairs available for you to buy later on.
Under Armour has money again
Under Armour signed a deal with the NFL this week that, once again, makes the sportswear company an official footwear and glove partner of the league. NFL players will now be able to wear Under Armour gloves and cleats without catching one of those hefty NFL uniform violation fines.
The irony of it is that it’s the same deal Under Armour nixed five years ago.
The backdrop: Under Armour previously had a deal with the NFL from 2006 to 2020 but nixed the deal at the start of the Patrick Frisk era when the brand cut costs because of financial troubles.
The NFL deal wasn’t the only thing it cut.
Remember, UA backed out of a number of licensing deals with colleges around the country.
The most significant of which was the 15-year, $286 million deal the company agreed to with UCLA.
The why: Plank seems to be redoing all the deals that were canceled under the previous Frisk regime. What’s funny about that is that it’s basically his fault Under Armour had to nix deals in the first place.
The pandemic certainly didn’t help things, but don’t forget, the company was accused of cooking its books to disguise slowing sales after the Curry boom under Kevin Plank.
Restarting these deals signals that Under Armour is ready to build again. Hopefully, Plank doesn’t screw things up again.
Austin Reaves for brother of the year
I’ve seen some great gender reveals in my time, but this one takes the cake.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves used his signature shoe to reveal the gender of his brother’s baby.
It’s a girl, y’all!
This is such a sweet gesture from Reaves. What a guy. What a flex. The family will be able to tell this story for years to come.
#TheKicksWeWear
Let’s get it!!!!
First the homie Mike got us started with the Rejuven8s. Comfy vibes, folks!
The homie Chris kept the party going with the Industrial Blue Jordan 1 low. I need some of this weather out my way!
The homie Harrison flexed on the court with the Union Cortez joints. My guy really knows how to set the scene.
The homie Rick Dubb came through with the Pegasus Premium. Really might have to slide on these.
Then the homie Nate Frost took us home with the Jae Tips Jazz 9. Love these joints man. Jae Tips comes with it every time.
MAN y’all got some heaters.
Thanks so much for reading today. I appreciate y’all. Have a fantastic weekend. I hope you’ve got some good weather out your way.
If you have any questions, comments or concerns hit me up at mikedsykes@gmail.com or shoot me a message here via Substack.
Peace and love. Be safe, be easy, be kind. We out.
-Sykes 💯