A’ja Wilson’s signature Nike collection and A’One shoe finally unveiled
A’ja Wilson pulled up to the Ellison Building in South Carolina Fairgrounds on Monday morning and was flooded with memories of the S.C. State Fair.
But Wilson wasn’t there for a deep-fried Oreo, a ride on the Ferris wheel or to gawk at the sand sculptures. Instead, she was there to finally unveil her highly anticipated signature shoe and collection: the Nike A’One.
Wilson and actress Issa Rae recorded a sit-down interview, titled “A’Real Conversation,” in front of friends, family, Nike employees and members of the media. The talk served as a deep dive into the signature collection.
“(This is) a weight off of my shoulders,” Wilson said Monday. “This has been something that I’ve been so proud of, so happy. And to see my village and people behind the scenes that have been working so hard to put this together, to see it finally go live, and to have the community and people love on it a little bit, it’s gonna be tons of fun and I cannot wait.”
The collection was officially unveiled on Tuesday morning, just short of a year after Nike announced it had added Wilson as a signature athlete when the Las Vegas Aces played in a preseason game at Colonial Life Arena.
Growing up, Wilson said she used to circle Nike shoes in magazines she wanted, and the reality she now has her own shoe still hasn’t quite settled in.
“I feel like when it’s finally out, I think that’s when it’s going to hit me,” Wilson said. “Because I still feel like I’m holding so many secrets from different people. And even then, when it comes out, more (is) on the way.
“This is definitely a moment where I’m like, OK, now I can finally be myself. I can wear these shoes and work out in them and don’t have to toss them when I see media. Once it gets out, that’s when I’m going to need the moment to reflect.”
The Nike A’One Signature Collection will be on sale to the public in May 2025.
A signature shoe just further solidifies Wilson’s resume as a bonafide basketball star. She’s a former No. 1 overall pick turned three-time WNBA MVP and two-time WNBA champion.
Wilson starred at South Carolina, playing a key role in USC women’s basketball winning its first national title in 2017, and has a statue outside of Colonial Life Arena — the same arena where her jersey now hangs retired in the rafters. Wilson is the 13th WNBA athlete with a signature shoe signature shoe, but she said her shoe is about more than her as a basketball player.
“My signature can be on it, and it is mine, and my name is on it, but the messages behind it, the journey of how we got here, it’s so much bigger than basketball,” Wilson said. “I’m bigger than a basketball player. Basketball is just my vehicle to my goals, but I love to use fashion or athletic wear or sport wear to be like, ‘No, this is everyone’s journey.’ You can live your own journey through your own way, but you can look cute while doing it.”
Look at the A’One
Wilson, a self-described “girly girl,” decided to go with pink as the main color for the shoe because it’s her favorite color. Nike presented her with different shades of the color during the design process, she said, and joked that she didn’t know that many pinks existed.
“When it came to this line, I wanted it to be welcome to everybody,” Wilson said. “And I was even hesitant. I was like, pink? Is it gonna sell? Let’s see. But at the same time, I’m like, you know what? If you know and you know, and if you’re true to yourself, it doesn’t matter what the color is. You’re gonna love it because it’s real. It feels like it’s you.”
The iridescent finish and color layering on the side and toe of the shoes are similar to what the inside of a cut-open pearl looks like, Wilson said. Wilson is known for her trademark pearl necklace she often wears in homage to her grandmother.
And there are other “Easter eggs” on the shoes.
Inside the tongue of the shoes are replicas of Wilson’s tattoos — Celtic symbols that honor her mother and her father. There is also a line from Wilson’s New York Times best-selling book, “Dear Black Girls: How to be True to You,” on the outsole of the sneaker. The quote reads, “As a matter of fact, the best is yet to come.”
“It’s really a combination of a written story that I had no idea I was ever going to write, to the parents and the sacrifice and the guidance that they gave me, into a shoe,” Wilson said. “A performance shoe that everyone can wear and carry with them and implement in their own life.”
On the ankle of each shoe is a quote Wilson delivered during a postgame comment: “Weakness, weakness. We don’t have time for that.”
The silhouette of the shoe is rounded out by Wilson’s new signature logo.
The shoe is low cut at the ankle, making it versatile and ideal to be worn in “different spaces” outside of basketball as well, Wilson said.
Wilson said she’s “very, very happy” with the outcome of the collection.
“Trust me, if I wasn’t, you would not be seeing it,” she joked. “That’s how serious and how much time I poured into it with my group. I didn’t want anything out that didn’t feel like me. And I wanted everyone to see the standard that we hold, the top-tier feel to it, the stories behind the Easter eggs, or what goes into the material of the outfits, which I had no idea mattered, but it does. So I paid really close attention to a lot of details.”
The rest of the collection
Nike also unveiled slides and eight pieces of apparel for men, women and kids alongside Wilson’s signature shoe.
The collection is highlighted by the “A’Symmetric” tights. The tights have one leg cut midway, modeled after Wilson’s signature look on the court that originated from her looking for comfort while recovering from an injury. Others in men’s and women’s basketball have since adopted that look as a style.
“I don’t want to say that I’m a trendsetter, but I did kinda set a trend,” she joked.
There’s also a simple, black T-shirt with Wilson’s logo in pink. There is a pink hoodie “for the girls” with a slight crop. The hoodie also has sateen lining for a luxury-type feel along with matching pink sateen shorts.
A pair of pink Nike slides are also part of the collection. Wilson said the slides were important to “make sure the drips carries on” once you take the A’Ones off as you exit the court.
There is also a kids shoe and kids apparel in the collection, something Wilson said was important for her to have.
“I wanted just to welcome everybody, including the children,” Wilson said. “I feel like that is my biggest thing, is including the next generation. So they could see someone and they want to be that person and say, ‘No, I can be that within myself.’ So that was big, big, big for me and I’m glad that we were able to execute that in the line.”
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 9:01 AM.
