Caitlin Clark Gifts Special Edition Sneakers To Men's & Women's Iowa Hoops Teams
The Indiana Fever star's special-edition Kobes sold out instantly after they were released last month.
One thing about Caitlin Clark: she doesn't forget where she came from.
The Indiana Fever superstar made sure the hoopers at her alma mater were equipped with her new Caitlin Clark Edition Kobe 5 Protro Sneakers, which sold out instantly after they were released last month.
Videos on social media show both the Iowa men's and women's teams walking into their locker rooms to find their own pairs of the coveted shoes waiting for them.
Clark signed a reported eight-year, $28 million endorsement deal with Nike in April 2024, just a week after the Fever selected her No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft. And since then, fans have been waiting impatiently for the reigning Rookie of the Year's own signature shoe with the brand.
And, well, they're still waiting for that. But the player-edition Kobes are a nice touch.
Clark wore Kobe sneakers throughout her career in college and in the pros — long before she got her own version.
"I'm a Kobe person," Clark said during WNBA All-Star Weekend last season. "Everybody knows that. It’s the best shoe. It's not even close. I probably like the Kobe 6s the best, which are the ones I have on right now. I like the 5s as well, but the 6s are kind of my thing.
"So, obviously, just to wear his shoe, and obviously what [his wife] Vanessa has done and their family has done. And continuing his legacy, not only obviously within his shoe, but just that whole foundation and just the Kobe brand is pretty incredible. So, I feel very lucky and fortunate to not only represent Nike, but also their entire family."
Iowa won't be the only team rocking the CC's, though. Clark also gifted the Butler men's basketball team — where her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is an assistant coach — with the shoes earlier this month.