“This was never a long shot.” There is no athlete more suited for Nike than Caitlin Clark. To be honest? CC and the shoewear company go hand-in-hand. Nike stood by the Iowa alum during her insanely successful collegiate career, signing a Name, Image, and Likeliness deal with the star. And when she was on the verge of going pro? Clark signed a huge eight year, $28 million contract with the footwear company.

And she didn’t disappoint either! Her rookie year was record-breaking, she even finished in top 5 voting for MVP. However, fans are beginning to wonder when Nike plans on releasing Clark’s signature shoe.

Obviously, we’ve had chatter around a shoe line for CC for a while now, but nothing solid has happened. Nike has a storied but cautious history with WNBA signature shoes—Sheryl Swoopes broke ground in 1995 with the Air Swoopes, yet it took decades for Sabrina Ionescu’s Sabrina 1 in 2023 and A’ja Wilson’s upcoming A’One in 2025 to follow. With Clark’s meteoric rise and a deal dwarfing most in women’s basketball, fans argue she’s overdue for her place in this elite club.

Nike has been focusing on reigning MVP A’ja Wilson and her A’One line first, which is finally slated for release in May. But Nike’s playbook seems clear: Wilson, a three-time MVP with a longer tenure, gets her shoe first—a project designed since 2023—while Clark’s signature shoe, confirmed in development by CEO Elliott Hill in a January 2025 Fortune interview, remains without a timeline. The Indiana Fever star is in their minds for sure but fans cry foul, arguing her immediate impact warrants an exception.

Caitlin Clark is getting her own player-edition Kobes! Recently, Nike announced two new shoes paying tribute to Kobe Bryant, and Caitlin Clark is a huge part of the equation. They are releasing special player-edition Kobe 5 and 6 Proto PEs that were made for the Indiana Fever star, on June 1 and October 1, respectively.

Even with the release of the Kobe Proto series, fans are questioning the delay in announcing Caitlin Clark’s own line of shoes. She’s arguably the biggest star in the WNBA, and for her to not have her own shoe is a tragedy! Let’s find out exactly what they are saying.

Fans are demanding Caitlin Clark’s signature shoes!

The people love Caitlin Clark, we all know that. And with the delay in announcing her signature line of shoes, fans aren’t exactly happy with Nike right now. Social media exploded after the Kobes announcement, questioning why CC is being overlooked by the company.

A few fans had concerns in the comments of the Nike announcement on Instagram. “Why doesn’t she have her own shoe already?” A user asked in the comments section, and it was a common sentiment. People were giving due love to Kobe, but they needed to know why CC is shoeless! “Love the Kobes but she Should get her own line.”

Noticeably, Nike has shifted its focus onto women’s sports this year. Their ‘So Win’ superbowl ad campaign was a huge success and featured stars like Clark and A’ja Wilson. However, the entire reason for their shift is due to dwindling interest and sales. With a reported $27 billion market value drop in 2025, per The Assist Network, Nike’s hesitation risks alienating Clark’s fanbase—her sold-out jerseys and $219,906 in card sales last month scream missed opportunity.

NBA agent Nate Jones expressed his disapproval on X. “By far the biggest/most box office athlete in the women’s game having 2 PEs for another signature line instead of her own signature line is exhibit A of why Nike is a mess. Caitlin is lightning in a bottle. You expedite a signature!” He said, pointing out how a Clark signature would just make sense right now with her popularity and fame.

And fans agreed! The replies to his post were filled with similar sentiments. “Nike sucks! Stop fooling around and just release Caitlin Clark’s signature shoes/logo/merchandise already cowards!!!” A fan said on X.

All-Star Weekend is coming up in Indianapolis this season, and fans want a signature line before it! “I hope her signature is ready by ASW in Indy.”

There is no doubt that a Caitlin Clark line will go crazy! The level of fandom and following that she has is sure to make the shoe an immediate hit. So, when might CC’s shoe drop? Nike’s process typically takes 18-24 months—Wilson’s A’One went from 2023 design to 2025 debut. If Clark’s visit to Nike HQ in January 2025 kicked things off, per Hill, 2026 is likely. But with Indy’s All-Star spotlight nearing, could Nike fast-track it? Still, fans are excited and curious to see what happens next.