Why Angel Reese Picked Reebok Signature Sneaker Over Other Brands
Are you also loving all the headlines young female athletes have been snagging up? Because I certainly have. Most recently, the newly drafted WNBA star for the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese, is getting her own signature Reebok sneaker line. Some people are wondering why the former LSU star didn’t choose Nike. The young basketball player took to social media recently to explain why she picked Reebok.
Why Did Angel Reese Pick Reebok Over Other Brands?
Reese explained in a video that she favored Reebok because they didn’t have a prominent female basketball player as the face of their brand. She said, “So many different shoe companies wanted to work with me. But I chose Reebok. What was it about Reebok? One, they don’t have a women’s basketball player [as] a face. So I wanted to be that.”
The basketball player also mentioned that her relationship with Shaq “President of Reebok Basketball” influenced her decision. She also said that Reebok is “rebranding everything” and they’re letting her be the creator “behind everything” she wants to do. “So I’m having my own shoe line coming out, merch with my name on it…Y’all like what I wear, y’all like how I dress, y’all like my style. I wanted to incorporate that into Reebok.”
The brand announced the partnership with Reese on Instagram in October. The post said, “Reebok x Angel Reese – She wears a uniform on the court, now see her hand-picked Reebok uniform she sports off the court.” Reese recently confirmed her own signature line to add to the excitement.
The former LSU player told Reebok in a Q&A, “I don’t like wearing heels. I like wearing tennis shoes. Reebok has cute tennis shoes I love to wear so that’s great for me!”
The Relationship Between WNBA Players And Signature Sneakers
According to Sole Retriever, a shoe website, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes became the first woman to receive a signature basketball sneaker when she signed with Nike in 1995. Despite this, not much has changed in the years since, with only a dozen female athletes receiving the honor in the history of the WNBA.
According to ESPN’s report on the 2022 season, the WNBA has been gaining traction, which experienced a 22 percent rise in viewership compared to the previous season. It marked the most-watched WNBA season in 16 years. Similarly, this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament attracted high viewership levels, drawing millions of viewers for the championship game.
Although several women have received signature sneakers in the WNBA’s 27-year history, it has been over a decade since a woman received a signature sneaker until just last year. Breanna Stewart’s Puma Stewie 1 hit shelves, followed by the release of Elena Delle Donne’s Nike Air Deldon. Nike has also announced Sabrina Ionescu’s upcoming signature silhouette, the Nike Sabrina 1. Less than a year later, Nike signed Caitlin Clark to an eight-year deal worth $28 million, including plans for a signature model.
