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Video: Caitlin Clark Debuts Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE, Hypes Design as 'The Best Shoe'

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerX.com LogoFeatured Columnist IVJuly 31, 2024

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 20: Caitlin Clark #22 of Team WNBA looks on before the 2024 WNBA All-Star game against the USA Basketball Women's National Team at Footprint Center on July 20, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Basketball fans are still waiting on Caitlin Clark's signature shoe from Nike, but the Indiana Fever star got her own player-exclusive edition of the Nike Kobe 5 Protro in the meantime.

Clark showed off the kicks at a Fever practice. She said the yellow and black design aligns with her alma mater (Iowa) and matches up a bit with her current team.

Indiana Fever @IndianaFever

Caitlin Clark debuted her first Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE's at practice, and talked about how special it is to have her own player exclusives 😍<br><br>"I feel like it's Fever, but it's also Iowa, so you get the best of both worlds." <a href="https://t.co/4d3FVakThh">pic.twitter.com/4d3FVakThh</a>

B/R Kicks @brkicks

Caitlin Clark debuted her very first Nike Kobe 5 Protro PE during practice today 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/XvLajWZQ6E">pic.twitter.com/XvLajWZQ6E</a>

The No. 1 overall draft pick, who first signed an NIL deal with Nike while she was in college, has a soft spot for the company's line of Kobe sneakers.

B/R Kicks @brkicks

"I'm a Kobe person, everybody knows that" 🐍<br><br>Caitlin spoke on some of her favorite Kobes to hoop in right now 🔥<br><br>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/SoleRetriever?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@soleretriever</a>) <a href="https://t.co/rmuVT4JsVv">pic.twitter.com/rmuVT4JsVv</a>

She was among the players who donned the special Kobe 6 Protros that were designed for the WNBA All-Star Game.

B/R Kicks @brkicks

Vanessa Bryant took to her IG stories to share a new "WNBA All-Star" Nike Kobe 6 PE 🔥<br><br>Who do you think will wear these this weekend? <a href="https://t.co/g3vdrYefX3">pic.twitter.com/g3vdrYefX3</a>

The bad news for fans is that Clark's personalized Kobes won't be going on sale, per Sole Retriver's Steve Jaconetta. Being a world-class athlete has its privileges.

Clark and the Fever remain on their midseason break as the 2024 Summer Olympics continue to unfold in Paris.

Her omission from the United States national team caused a major stir. On top of her historic career, she's already one of the biggest stars in the WNBA. Taking a month off allowed for her to recharge, though, after having almost no offseason as she transitioned from college to the pros.

"She didn't know if she could turn it off," Fever head coach Christie Sides said of Clark, per the Indianapolis Star's Nathan Baird. "That's what she really needed coming off that college season. I was like, 'Caitlin, just step away and breathe.' I think she really did that, and she was ready to get back in here (Monday)."

Indiana won't be back in action until Aug. 16, when it hosts Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury.