Caitlin Clark has made plenty of history in an Indiana Fever uniform. On October 1, she added another first to her résumé hours before taking the court.
The Nike Caitlin 1, Clark’s first signature basketball shoe, officially launched globally Thursday, and Nike revealed just how heavily it is backing its newest signature athlete.
During Nike’s fiscal first-quarter earnings call, the company said the Caitlin 1 represented the largest women’s signature shoe launch in Nike history.
“Today, we activated the largest women’s signature shoe launch in Nike’s history, the Caitlin 1,” Nike CEO Elliott Hill said. “It will launch in 5,000 doors, twice the average for a Nike Basketball signature shoe, supported by our largest Nike product campaign for the holiday season.”
Nike also said its women’s signature basketball business grew nearly 500% from fiscal year 2022 through fiscal year 2026. Later in the call, Hill described Clark’s release as the company’s largest-ever women’s signature launch and said Nike was seeing “great sell-through.”
That was already becoming apparent online.
Yahoo Sports reported that the Caitlin 1 had nearly sold out within two hours of its release, with only limited sizes remaining through Nike and several national retailers selling out completely.
The timing gives Clark an unusually eventful day. Hours after her signature shoe hit stores, Clark and the Fever were scheduled to face A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces in a winner-take-all Game 3 of their first-round WNBA playoff series. Tipoff was scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.
How Much Are Caitlin Clark’s New Shoes?
The Nike Caitlin 1 carries a $140 retail price for adults in North America.
Nike launched the shoe globally on October 1 after an earlier September 24 release in China. The first two widely available colorways are “Caitlin Blue” and “Warning Code.”
Nike designed the Caitlin 1 around three specific elements of Clark’s game: helping create a quicker first step, a faster step-back and a faster shot release.
The shoe features Nike’s Opticast upper, a forefoot Air Zoom Turbo unit and a full-length Cushlon midsole. Clark was heavily involved in the development process.
“I don’t know that I’ve worked with an athlete who has been this involved in their product,” Nike Basketball product line manager Alex Zerzan said. “Her fingerprints are all over this shoe.”
The design also incorporates Clark-specific touches, including her CC logo, No. 22 and a double Swoosh, while the insoles and other details reference the driveway court where Clark developed her shooting range as a child.
Her new sneaker released in 5,000 retail stores.
Where Can You Buy Caitlin Clark’s Nike Caitlin 1?
Nike launched the Caitlin 1 through Nike.com and select retailers, with the unusually large 5,000-door rollout giving Clark substantially more retail exposure than the typical Nike Basketball signature release.
Availability was already becoming the bigger question by Thursday afternoon.
Sports Illustrated reported that both the Caitlin Blue and Warning Code versions had sold out in nearly every size online shortly after launch, leaving some shoppers looking toward resale platforms or waiting for additional Caitlin 1 releases.
More colorways are expected over the coming months. Nike has said each will incorporate elements of Clark’s career, playing style and personal story.
The launch also includes an 18-piece Caitlin 1 apparel collection, featuring performance gear, jackets, hoodies and T-shirts.
Caitlin Clark Makes Nike History With Massive Shoe Launch Before Fever Game