Insider rips Nike for dropping the ball on Caitlin Clark signature shoes despite Top 5 potential

Caitlin Clark's popularity has propelled her into the global spotlight over the last three years. She has helped the Indiana Fever into contention, but her impact stretches out to the WNBA, massively growing the league's audience worldwide. However, one insider has voiced his displeasure about how Nike handles the creation of Caitlin Clark-specific shoes.

Nike plans to release Clark player editions of the Nike Kobe 5's and 6 Protros later this year. These shoes will be the first ones specific to Clark, but Nick DePaula, an insider on the footwear industry and basketball marketing, said this was a bad move while appearing on ESPN's "Nice Kicks and Boardroom."

In an X post on Wednesday, DePaula argued that Nike is letting a big opportunity pass it by as long as it doesn't create a signature sneaker line for Clark. According to him, Clark has some of the best potential values in the sneaker industry, even before she showed improvement in her second professional season.

While DePaula's claim is bold, it isn't without merit. Compared to the other young rising stars in the professional basketball world, the only player who is anywhere near as popular as Clark is Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama. Both players have global appeal and set the foundation for very long and successful careers in the WNBA and NBA, respectively.

Interestingly, both players are Nike athletes and are still waiting for their signature shoe line despite being two of the most popular players in today's game, both on and off the court.

Caitlin Clark's potential for sales is evident in jersey sales

When Clark entered the WNBA as a member of the Fever, she helped the team and the WNBA as a whole make a massive amount of money. She also put the league in the national spotlight. Her jersey was far and away the most popular one last season, and she increased the Fever's jersey sales by 1193%, a jaw-dropping number.

As Clark continues to showcase her skills in the WNBA, more people than ever will have the opportunity to see her play. The Indiana Fever will have 41 of their 44 regular season games on national television, which shows the impact that the league hopes Clark will have regarding increasing viewership.

The only thing faltering for Clark is the growth of her brand. According to DePaula and others, Nike fails to profit every time it waits to introduce Clark and Wembanyama's signature shoe lines. However, Clark and Wembanyama aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and figure to lead their leagues into the future.