For most of basketball history, women's signature shoes were a footnote in Nike's calendar. A small run, a handful of colourways, limited distribution. Caitlin Clark has changed that faster than almost anyone expected.
Her first signature shoe, the Nike Caitlin 1, launched on 1 October 2026 as the biggest women's signature shoe launch in Nike's history. Here is how the partnership got here, what has released so far and what is still to come.
From Kobe PEs to Her Own Line
Clark signed with Nike in 2024, before her first WNBA season with the Indiana Fever. Like many of the league's guards, she leaned on the Kobe line, and it quickly became the shoe most associated with her on court.
That association turned into product. The Nike Kobe 5 Protro Caitlin Clark 'Indiana Fever' (2025) came first, in the Fever's blue, and it is still one of the most expensive pairs connected to her. In 2026 more Kobe 5 Protro releases followed, including the 'Coconut Milk' version, and she also wore a Kobe 6 PE inspired by Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.
Shop the Nike Kobe 5 Protro Caitlin Clark 'Indiana Fever' (2025) on KLEKT
Those pairs mattered because they proved the demand. A player PE on a Kobe usually sells to collectors of the line. Clark's sold to people who had never bought a Kobe before.
The Nike Caitlin 1
The Caitlin 1 is built around a new upper Nike calls Opticast, a layer of PU nodes at different heights designed to reduce drag and support quick changes of direction. Underneath sits Cushlon foam with an Air Zoom Turbo unit in the forefoot, set closer to the foot than on most Nike Basketball models.
The design brief was speed. Clark plays fast, pulls up from deep and changes pace constantly, and the shoe is low, light and responsive rather than heavily cushioned. It released in China on 24 September and globally on 1 October, alongside an 18-piece apparel collection.
Shop the Nike Caitlin 1 'Racer Blue' (2026) on KLEKT
The numbers explain why Nike went so big. The Caitlin 1 launched in around 5,000 stores, roughly twice the size of an average Nike Basketball signature launch. Within a day the launch colourways had sold out on Nike's own platforms, with kids' sizes still to come.
Why Nike Is Betting on Women's Basketball
The Caitlin 1 is not a one-off. Nike has started three WNBA signature lines in three years, first for Sabrina Ionescu, then for A'ja Wilson and now for Clark. The Sabrina line in particular became one of the most worn shoes in professional basketball, among men as well as women.
Clark brings something the others do not: reach far beyond the sport. Attendance and television numbers rise wherever the Fever play, and her audience includes a large number of young players buying their first serious basketball shoe. That is the market Nike is aiming the Caitlin 1 at.
If you want to see where the movement started, the Nike Sabrina 2 'Mirrored' (2024) is on KLEKT as well.
Nike Caitlin 1 Colourways and Release
The launch colourway is the blue 'Racer Blue', style code IH7423-400, released on 1 October 2026 together with the yellow 'Warning Code', style code IH7423-700. More colourways have already been confirmed, including pink, purple, white and sail versions, and several are already listed on KLEKT ahead of their release.
Shop the Nike Caitlin 1 WMNS 'Yellow' (2026) on KLEKT
Every Caitlin Clark pair currently on KLEKT:
- Nike Caitlin 1 'Racer Blue' (2026)
- Nike Caitlin 1 WMNS 'Yellow' (2026)
- Nike Caitlin 1 'Hot Punch' (2026)
- Nike Caitlin 1 WMNS 'Snow White' (2026)
- Nike Caitlin 1 'Electric Green' (2027)
- Nike Kobe 5 Protro Caitlin Clark 'Indiana Fever' (2025)
- Nike x Caitlin Clark Kobe 5 Protro 'Coconut Milk Spruce' (2026)
- Nike x Caitlin Clark Kobe 5 Protro (2026)
With launch pairs gone from Nike within a day, KLEKT is the easiest place to pick the colourway and size you want, including the pairs that have not released yet.
Check out the Nike Caitlin 1 on KLEKT.
Images: Nike / KLEKT
