NY Liberty Star Sabrina Ionescu Laid Out a Strict Ultimatum to Nike Aiming to Repeat ‘Sabrina 1’ Success

Over 100 NBA players, 18,425 on-court minutes, 955 appearances and a fourth ranking. These are numbers for one of the most popular sneakers in the basketball world today according to Sportscaster. And no, they are not for the Kobes or the Jordans. They are for Sabrina Ionescu’s signature Nike shoe Sabrina 1. After a huge success that echoed through the globe, the sharpshooter recently launched Sabrina 2. But it shares something with the first one that the New York Liberty star did not wish to change.

Sabrina Ionescu recently sat down with Vanity Fair’s Lisa Robinson to talk about her latest Nike signature collection. Robinson asked the debuting Olympian going for USA’s tenth gold if the numbers and facts about her shoes were true. The guard promptly responded, “Yes, and a woman having a unisex shoe had never been done before.”

She also spilled a secret of the designing process for Sabina 2. “With the Sabrina 2 shoe, the technology is different, but I just wanted it to be a new-and-improved version of the 1, because that did so well—and if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” the 3x WNBA All-Star told Vanity Fair.

According to Nike’s website, the second version of the shoes is 28 grams lighter to help athletes move faster. Moreover, Sabrina Ionescu personally collaborated and discussed the design and technology with the Nike product design teams. They leveraged research for women and combined them with Oregon alum’s insights. Additionally, they also paralleled their findings with men’s data to create another unisex shoe. And that was exactly what Sabrina Ionescu always aimed at.

Sabrina Ionescu had one aim when creating a signature shoe

Whether it was Sabrina 1 when the athlete could not sit down with Nike’s professionals due to COVID-19 or Sabrina 2 when she did discuss the entire process, the No. 20 had one thing in mind. She told Robinson, “That was what my goal was: to see everyone in them—not just NBA players, but college and high school players too.”

She also described how women wear men’s shoes all the time. Certainly, most WNBA players wear men’s shoes for their better looks and comfort. Caitlin Clark is quite famous for wearing various Kobes to the floor. However, it was never the other way around, until Sabrina 1. Now, over 100 NBA players wear her shoes. In fact, she once appreciated Dallas Maverick’s Dereck Lively for wearing her shoes. In return, he responded, “Thank you for making them that comfortable.” Just that simple. And now, Sabrina Ionescu is not just popular in the NBA world for her dagger threes but also for her cleats.

As for Sabrina 2, she has also launched them for kids this time. Along with the shoes, there will be apparel as well. These will include two tees, a hoodie, shorts, and a reversible bomber jacket. Moreover, the kids’ collection will feature a hoodie and shorts. Most importantly, each piece will be a nod to Sabrina Ionescu’s past, present, and personal style that only enhances the worth of the collection.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.