In 2022, Nike added Elena Delle Donne to the company’s roster of signature athletes with the release of the Air Deldon – breaking a sixteen year drought since Diana Taurasi’s Shox DT, then the brand’s most recent WNBA signature model.
Last year, Nike unveiled its first signature shoe for Sabrina Ionescu, the Sabrina 1, to widespread acclaim. This year, the company signed recent #1 pick Caitlyn Clark to a $28 million deal, which is expected to include a signature sneaker line.
So what about reigning Finals MVP A’Ja Wilson? Fans began to wonder: White do Nike’s other active WNBA signature athletes have that Wilson doesn’t?
This week, Nike delivered their answer in the form of a webpage: OfCourseIHaveAShoe.com
As of now, the domain (freshly registered on May 1st, 2024) points to a page on Nike’s primary website https://www.nike.com/basketball/aja-wilson/ and hosts a single .png file stating the brand’s intent to release her signature shoe next year.
If you’re cynically thinking that this feels like a slapdash effort to evade criticism, Nike would like you to know that its collaboration with Wilson has long been in the works. Its press release stresses: “For more than a year, Wilson has worked side by side with Nike’s team of innovation, product and design experts to create a signature collection inspired by her distinctive style, incredible performance and unapologetic realness.”
Wilson assured fans as part of Nike’s press release: “From my logo to the look of the shoe and the pieces throughout the collection, we’ve worked to make sure every detail is perfectly tuned to my game and style.”
Though the company has yet to share the logo, or any substantive information about its A’ja Wilson product collection, there’s still plenty of time left before its 2025 launch.
Until then, you can track updates and discuss your expectations for the line in our A’One forum thread.
Reactions aceofjaysIt's just this 'A' she sketched, morphed a bit
Wenby’s logo aside, I feel like this is par for the course with modern day Nike designs. And while I’m not a fan of it either, if this was somebody in the NBA’s logo, it’d definitely be getting cooked more:lol
But yeah, logo is whatever as long as the shoes deliver. Sabrina 2’s came out fuego, so these and the CC’s have their work cut out for them.
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Reactions Public EnemyI was the same way. Stared and stared and could not figure it out. Once I read the description, I STILL had to really look at it to see it.
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Reactions bossplaya0625, calye2da and amitt5504“When people look at my position in basketball, they think of a big-man shoe, a forward or center shoe. The A’One is not that. It is the complete opposite,” Wilson said. “It’s very versatile because that is my style of play. And I wanted a shoe that was going to be comfortable and durable for 40 minutes because the last thing I want to worry about on court are my shoes. And it’s a low top.”
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Reactions illmatic kid, ogklayz and jacktown83I would guess that her shoes would have some LeBron sneaker DNA, because her and the LeBron 21 syncs seamlessly
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Reactions vinsanity, aceofjays, d e beatup and 2 othershttps://boardroom.tv/aja-wilson-nike-signature-sneaker
"The Design Process
When the next set of meetings took place in 2023 at Nike’s massive new office in Los Angeles and on the Nike campus in Oregon later that fall, it was time to establish the big picture ideas for what Wilson wanted her shoe to represent, and what she wanted the shoe to look like.
“The design process with Nike was really gratifying, and I didn’t realize how much goes into designing a shoe,” says Wilson. “My biggest asks were that the shoe was light and comfortable for all the hours I spend on the court, and that it also looks really good.”
The Swoosh logo should be placed on the sleek silhouette in a unique way, the thinking went, to make sure the A’ONE is recognizable on a store wall, on a street, or on TV when rapidly rising audiences are tuning in to Aces games to watch Wilson.
“The experience working with A’ja on her collection reflects who she is on the court and in the locker room,” said Ben Nethongkome, Wilson’s lead footwear designer at the Swoosh. “She’s a natural leader.”"
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"In the footwear industry, the calendar for signature shoes is a drawn out one. Designers have often joked that one of the most important skills needed for this industry is patience.
The start-to-finish timeline is often 18-24 months, allowing for a series of 2-3 month check-point windows that includes everything such as design, revisions, performance testing, colorway creation, marketing plans, retail buying, campaign photoshoots, factory production and shipping from overseas — all leading up to an eventual launch date.
With the Spring 2023 starting point in Miami kicking things in motion, the team identified the Spring / Summer 2025 season early on for the eventual A’ONE release.
“A’ja did not want to rush it,” said English. “She wanted to get it right.”
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Reactions illmatic kid, ogklayz and jacktown83Might be k. The beefier side since she’s known to rock Bron shoes along with the Cosmic zunity kicks et
And let’s say if the kicks don’t resonate with me, I would def buy merch. Her resume, style of play, and she’s from my native SC like me. Dope.
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Not a fan either TBH.
Hopefully the actual shoe deliverts.
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Reactions sooperhooperI was the same way. Stared and stared and could not figure it out. Once I read the description, I STILL had to really look at it to see it.
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