Caitlin Clark's Reported Nike Signature Shoe Release Date Raises Eyebrows
Arguably one of the biggest storylines to follow in the women's basketball world is the release of Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark's debut Nike signature shoe.
Clark signed with Nike shortly after her college career ended. As soon as this was announced, her massive fan base was champing at the bit to get their hands on No. 22's first signature shoe. It came as no surprise that no shoe was made available during Clark's rookie 2024 campaign, because that turnaround time would have been impossibly fast, even for a production juggernaut like Nike.
Then 2025 rolled around, and fans were convinced that Nike would be releasing Clark's debut shoe at some point during the Fever's 2025 season. Then the season arrived, and there was no announcement. Frustration with Nike's pacing grew as the year progressed, especially after Angel Reese's signature shoe with Reebok came out during the season (although she signed with Reebok about six months before Clark signed with Nike).
RELATED: Caitlin Clark's Long-Awaited Logo Reveal Gets 6-Word Nike Verdict
One bit of good news was that in August, Nike revealed Clark's signature logo and confirmed that a shoe was indeed coming in 2026.
On Christmas Day, shoe guru Nick DePaula wrote on X, "Caitlin Clark’s anticipated Nike signature shoe is expected to launch in Spring 2026."
Caitlin Clark’s anticipated Nike signature shoe is expected to launch in Spring 2026.
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) December 25, 2025
“Nike’s signature roster features all-time greats, and I am incredibly proud to join some of the best athletes in the world. I’m excited to share a first look at what we’ve created together.” https://t.co/m2SDtul3z9 pic.twitter.com/woXpn6R88T
RELATED: Nike CEO Gives Telling 3-Word Update on Caitlin Clark's Signature Shoe Release
Clark made an appearance on the "New Heights" podcast with the Kelce brothers on January 5 and said, "[My signature shoe] has been in the works for quite some time. Obviously, this is launching a whole year where my shoe will come out. [I'm] wearing it on the court this coming season."
While there's a difference between Clark being able to wear her signature shoe on the court during games and the shoe being made available to the public for purchase, many thought this was confirmation of DePaula's report, and indicated that the shoe would be coming this spring (given there is a WNBA season).
New Report Suggests Caitlin Clark Nike Shoe Timeline Has Been Pushed Back
However, how this doesn't seem so certain. The Sole Retriever X account (which is dedicated to sneaker-related news and has amassed a big following) made a post on February 19 that read, "BREAKING: Caitlin Clark's first signature sneaker with Nike is set to debut in Holiday 2026 ✍️✍️ @CaitlinClark
"🏷️ $140 (adult), $115 (GS), $105 (PS)".
BREAKING: Caitlin Clark's first signature sneaker with Nike is set to debut in Holiday 2026 ✍️✍️ @CaitlinClark22
— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) February 20, 2026
🏷️ $140 (adult), $115 (GS), $105 (PS) pic.twitter.com/Zf5FRh5PFi
It's important to note that this report isn't confirmed. However, Sole Retriever is pretty credible in these matters.
This report is scratching some heads. Not only is the sneaker seemingly being moved back until after the season (at least in terms of public availability), but "Holiday 2026" is relatively vague.
If there's any silver lining, it's that all indications suggest Clark's debut signature shoe will be under countless Christmas trees this year.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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