“Money, it’s gotta be the shoes!” Michael Jordan revolutionized the sneaker world, as well as the NBA, largely through his shoes, and Nike had a huge role to play in it. They brought in Spike Lee, built the jingles, the brand, and the fame. And for A’ja Wilson, one of the greatest to ever play in the W, she had all of that at her disposal and more! It has only been a month since the launch of her new shoes, and it’s looking pretty good.

The comparison between the Air Jordans and the A’Ones boils down to three key elements. Firstly, the Nike A’Ones sold out within 5 minutes of their launch. Sound familiar? It brings us back to the days of kids waiting in lines outside FootLocker to get their hands on a pair of Jordans. As for number two, the Jordans fished Nike out of a pretty bad time. Even now, although the company’s market cap sits well over $90B, their sales are drying out, and their focus is changing. With the boom of the W over the last year or so, it made sense for Nike to try and cash in. But that’s not where it ends!

These shoes, without a doubt, are culturally significant, and that’s the third point of comparison. “The ins and outs of it, it’s exciting,” Roscoe Wilson, A’ja’s father, told The Greenville News. “It’s been a labor of love with A’ja getting them out. Then getting them to kids, kids who need them, and kids who want to play in them. It’s been fun. We’ve been having a blast.” Not just the crowd in the streets, even fellow WNBA players have Wilson’s shoes on their feet, and the reigning MVP’s father got pretty excited about it in an interview with the Greenville News.

“It blows us away,” Roscoe Wilson said. “I’m at a game watching A’ka play and the players on her team, on the other teams against A’ja (wearing them).” He described it as ‘the Michael Jordan thing’ and we couldn’t agree more! “It’s kind of like the Michael Jordan thing, you know.”

Kids all across America are desperate for these shoes, and no one knows that better than A’ja Wilson and her camp! Before the retail release, Nike and Wilson created an opportunity for fans to get their hands on the shoes through the ‘Pre-Heat Tour’. All of this, paired with the fact that A’ja Wilson is one of the best to ever do it, is the reason behind the success of the A’Ones. But how far has the shoe spread? Which stars are wearing it? Let’s find out!

A’ja Wilson reaches the right market with her Nike A’Ones

Of course, A’ja Wilson has her shoes; it only took a contract extension and a lot of pressure from fans. The WNBA MVP, after agreeing on a huge six-year extension with Nike, wasted no time in getting her shoes out, and fans loved it! But her fans weren’t limited to the general population either, as a lot of big names donned her signature shoes!

It all started with the Texas Longhorns wearing A’ja’s shoes while playing against her alma mater. And even though they lost the matchup against Dawn Staley’s team, there was no denying their swag and aura on the court.

Not to mention, the WNBA is filled with players wearing and showing support for their MVP. Chicago Sky stars Kamilla Cardoso, Courtney Vandersloot, and Michaela Onyenwere rocked up in the A’Ones for their May 31st matchups. Even Atlanta Dream center, and WNBA legend, Brittney Griner, wore the indigo colors that day. 

However, its biggest spread has been to the NBA. Bam Adebayo, Wilson’s favorite Olympian from out of town, wore the pink version way back in February, and then the pearl white version on April 5th. It seems like other players were inspired as well, because LA Lakers guard Shake Milton wore the pink colorway on April 11th. 

A’ja Wilson’s shoes have had a crazy effect on the WNBA and the basketball world in general. We cannot wait to see the women’s game rise higher and higher, as this is only the beginning! Stay tuned for more.