“Jordan Brand, Kobes”: Olympic Gold Medalist Megan Rapinoe Raves About Sabrina Ionescu’s Nike Signature Shoe Success

In the ever-evolving world of sports apparel, Sabrina Ionescu and Nike collaborated last year to release the Liberty Guard’s first signature shoe. Sabrina 1 also became the first unisex shoe Nike created for a women’s basketball player. Considering the thought and time Sabrina and Nike spent on the kicks ensured its success not only among casual players but also caught the attention of NBA stars, who wore them plenty last season.

Building on this momentum, Ionescu’s second signature shoe, the Sabrina 2, was released this year and became the second-most-worn shoe in the league this season. This topic found its way to the ‘A Touch More’ podcast, where Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe discussed how influential Ionescu is slowly becoming in the sneaker world. They believed that Nike’s marketing strategy for Ionescu’s shoes was inspired by their approach to Kobe and Jordan.

The former USWNT Soccer captain said , The couple spoke about how Sabrina’s shoes share similarities with Kobe Bryant’s signature line, which is part of what makes them so popular. Bird added that she could attest to the comfort level of the shoes after wearing them herself. Rapinoe believes that the success of the shoe could help women’s basketball in many ways.

It’s because two more WNBA players, A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, have signed deals with the Oregon-based brand for signature shoes in the coming year. What added to the huge boost in the popularity of Sabrina’s shoes was the wides.