Separation of the Shelves 1
Shoes have the power to define you as a player. They’re a way of expression. If you have the best shoes, you look more intimidating. For example, my little brother has more pairs of basketball shoes than he knows what to do with. He has Kyrie’s, Hardens, LeBron’s, Jordans, KD’s and more. All of those names, are the names of the greats.
Getting a shoe contract solidifies that you’ll be remembered and that you’ve done something truly special in your career. While recognition isn’t everything, and it surely isn’t the reason that these idols play, it does feel good. All of the men’s stars with shoe contracts will agree that it’s a part of the dream and that it’s brought them some major bread. Yet not one single WNBA star has a shoe contract. Not only that but most of the shoes that NBA players make, are not available in women’s or girls sizes so female players are forced to shop in men’s or boy’s sections. Big brands believe that there is not a market to give a WBNA star a shoe, but I know I would buy a pair Diana Taurasi’s if I had the option too. These brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor all claim to be supporting men’s and women’s sports equally yet none of them are actually taking those steps out of the past and into the future.
Granted, Under Armor has made small steps towards giving women’s players shoes because recently a 9 year old girl wrote him a letter asking him why he didn’t sell the new Curry 5’s to girls. He wrote back saying that he and Under Armor had agreed to start making Curry 5’s in girls sizes and that she would receive the first pair. However, these brands are far from equally stocking in all sizes. If you search “men’s basketball shoes” on Nike.com 49 results show up but a search for “women’s basketball shoes” it produces only 29 results. The same searches on Under Armor’s website produces results of 21 and 6. Finally on Adidas’s website there are 111 different types of basketball shoes for men to choose from and 2 basketball shoes in the women’s department. Overall these sites combined produce 181 men’s basketball shoes and only 37 women’s basketball shoes. That’s 144 shoes that are offered only in the men’s section. Also, some of those 37 shoes that appear in a search for women’s basketball shoes, are still men’s shoes that are cross sold for women but not actually made for a women’s foot. Why? There are just as many women’s basketball players as men’s. So I say to Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor: why not make shoes in women’s sizes? Or better yet, give a woman a shoe contract! Let her empower the younger players next in line by giving her the opportunity to design a shoe specially made for these young women and girls.
