Paige Bueckers is turning heads as she breaks new ground with Nike. After inking a historic deal with Breanna Stewart’s newest endeavor, the All-American guard has taken another big step with her Nike Player Edition basketball sneaker, making herself the first college athlete to do so. As the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft fulfills her long-held dream of wearing her own shoes, fans have been celebrating the new move, looking forward to the December 7 launch. But, amid all the excitement, one NBA star has been upset over something about the new sneakers. 

Its design. Voicing his frustration on X, Evan Turner wrote, “I wish they didn’t give Paige a big man shoe.” Turner seemingly might be hinting at low-tops that could allow more freedom for her feet. Well, Bueckers’ new shoes appear to have a higher collar that will provide more ankle support.

The brand, too, seems confident that Paige’s Nike G.T. Hustle 3 will “propel her performance during the final season of her illustrious collegiate career.” Furthermore, the fact that the silhouette’s testing and development were led by 90% women, should add to the credibility.

Any which way, the UConn senior is excited about the launch. “It’s definitely motivating to wear your own shoe. I grew up wearing Nikes — all the signature shoes — so it’s surreal to have this Player Edition model. I just want to show out in it,” she said.

Just like Bueckers, we have seen other basketball stars such as Lakers player Bronny James who also had his own Player Exclusive of LeBron “NXXT Gen”. However, these never came out to the public. But Bueckers’ shoes will be available to the people at SNKRS and selective retail locations.

Leading up to the launch, what is building the excitement even more are the little details and personal touch the sneakers have. Afte all, that is what makes them truly special. 

A closer look at Paige Bueckers’ Player Edition Model

The kicks feature Bueckers’ favorite colors, baby blue and lavender purple. A beautiful nod to Uconn and her hometown in Minnesota, it flaunts area codes of these places on the shoe’s left tongue. While the right tongue shows off an embroidered bucket. On the right heel, Bueckers is written but crossed to make it appear Buckets, her nickname. 

“There are so many details that make this shoe special to me. This is the perfect colorway for me: I love baby blue and lavender, and the Radial Knit makes me feel fly,” Paige said about the design. But her favorite detail is something else. On the left heel, we see Paige paying homage to her father by emblazoning his words to her before every game: “Be you, Be Great”.

“My favorite detail is the message from my dad, and the tribute to both of my homes is so meaningful for my first Player Edition model,” Bueckers said.

Beyond that, Nike did its magic too. The kicks stand out thanks to the double-layered Air Zoom unit in the forefoot, featuring a sewn-in Air Zoom strobel for enhanced energy, and the Radial Knit upper provides targeted support. 

All of these details sound just too wonderful, right? But, what do you think about these cool new Nike sneakers? Would you want to give them a try? Let us know in the comments below!