Women’s basketball has more signature shoes right now than at any point in its history. Two years ago you could count the active lines on one hand. Today Caitlin Clark, A’ja Wilson, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and Angel Reese all have their own model, and Jordan Brand has built a whole silhouette around the women’s game. That’s great news if you play, but it also makes choosing harder.
The basics still apply. The women’s game runs on pace: lots of possessions, lots of cutting, a lot of time spent sprinting rim to rim. So you want a responsive forefoot for first steps and step-backs, a midsole that still feels comfortable late in the fourth quarter, and an upper that keeps your foot centred on the footbed when you change direction. Traction matters more than people think, because a shoe that slides on a dusty floor makes every other feature irrelevant. One practical note before you shop: most of these models come in unisex sizing, so check the size guide carefully. As a rough rule, women’s sizes sit about one and a half sizes above men’s.
Here are seven pairs worth your money this season.
Nike Caitlin 1
Caitlin Clark spent two years playing in Kobe Protros before Nike finally gave her a shoe of her own, and the Caitlin 1 was clearly built around how she plays: deep pull-ups, quick step-backs and a first step that sets the tempo. Up front there’s an Air Zoom Turbo unit that can flex and curve with the foot, paired with Cushlon foam underneath for a controlled ride. The upper uses Nike’s new Opticast, a cast polyurethane material that’s thin and light but still holds you in place when you plant hard.
The outsole uses a “C”-inspired traction pattern with cut-outs to save weight, and the personal details are everywhere once you start looking. There are 22s and CCs moulded into the upper, a double Swoosh that nods to her initials and the three-point arc, and “Shoot More Threes” and “From Anywhere” written across the left and right shoes. Few women’s signature launches have had this much build-up, so expect some colourways to go quickly. In the UK it retails at around £130.
Puma Stewie 5
Breanna Stewart restarted the modern era of women’s signature shoes when the Stewie 1 landed in 2022, the first WNBA signature model in over a decade. Five shoes later, she has more active signatures than anyone else in the league. The Stewie 5 debuted in May on the opening day of the WNBA season, and the launch “Turbo” colourway borrows a lot of its look from Puma’s running line, with bright support strips around the toe and midsole.
Underneath, Puma pairs NITROFOAM for energy return with ProFoam for lateral support, which makes sense for a player Stewart’s size who still likes to put the ball on the floor. The outsole uses a high-abrasion tread, and the shoe feels more stable than flashy. It’s an incremental update rather than a rebuild, but the Stewie line has been consistently solid on court, and at roughly £100 to £105 it undercuts most of the Nike options here.
Nike Sabrina 4
The Sabrina line is the reason a lot of these other shoes exist. Ionescu’s first three models crossed over into the NBA in a big way, and the Sabrina 4 is the most technical one yet. Nike borrowed the Flyplate from its running shoes, reworked it in TPU for basketball and placed it under the forefoot Air Zoom unit. The plate runs through the arch and up the sidewall too, so you get that springy push-off and extra stability when you cut.
Full-length Cushlon 3.0 handles comfort, while a carved collar keeps the ankle mobile and a perforated tongue lets some air in. Speed lacing webbing makes lockdown quick, and the haptic print on the upper nods to Ionescu’s Romanian heritage. If you’re a guard who plays fast and wants one shoe that does a bit of everything, this is the safest pick on the list. It sits at about £120 in the UK.
Reebok Angel Reese 1
Angel Reese’s debut shoe sold out within hours when it first dropped, which surprised plenty of people who’d written Reebok off as a basketball brand. Cushioning is the standout. Reebok’s ERS+ system uses two SuperFloat foam pods, one in the heel and one in the forefoot, and RunRepeat measured a tall 32.7 mm heel stack. It feels plush without being mushy, and the wide base makes it one of the most stable shoes here, which shooters in particular will appreciate.
The upper is a moulded synthetic exoskeleton that wraps the foot and keeps it locked during lateral moves. Traction is excellent too: in RunRepeat’s grip test it scored 0.88, well above the 0.76 average for basketball shoes. The one thing to watch is fit. Testers at WearTesters found it runs big and recommend going down half a size. Prices are around £120 on Reebok UK, with older colourways often discounted.
Nike A’Two
A’ja Wilson’s first shoe, the A’One, was all about comfort. The A’Two keeps that and adds the speed it was missing. Cushlon 3.0 foam runs through the midsole with an extra soft layer on top, and a bottom-loaded Air Zoom unit in the forefoot gives your first step a bit more pop when you attack the rim. A midfoot plate keeps things stable underneath.
The traction uses a wavy herringbone pattern that bites well on quick stops, and an injection-moulded heel counter keeps the back of the foot contained. There’s also a neat nod to Wilson’s asymmetric style: ventilation panels sit on just one side of the upper. Nike says it fits small, so order half a size up. Expect to pay about £130.
adidas Crazy Energy
adidas doesn’t have a women’s signature shoe on the market right now, but the Crazy Energy is the model its WNBA players actually wear. Satou Sabally, Sophie Cunningham and Chelsea Gray have all had their own player-edition colourways this season, and Kelsey Plum switched into it after signing with the brand in June. It’s a general-release shoe, not a showcase, and that’s part of the appeal.
Full-length Lightstrike gives a light, responsive feel, and a Boost insole adds some step-in comfort, so it feels ready from the first wear. The multidirectional herringbone outsole is classic adidas and does exactly what you need it to on a clean court. If you want something lighter and cheaper than the signature models, this is a strong choice at around £100. There’s also a Crazy Energy+ with Lightstrike Pro if you want more bounce.
Jordan Heir Series 2
The Heir Series 2 isn’t tied to one player. Jordan Brand designed it around the women’s game as a whole, with input from athletes such as Napheesa Collier. Compared with the first Heir Series, it adds a forefoot Air Zoom unit and a thicker drop-in Cushlon 3.0 midsole, so you get more cushioning while staying low to the ground. A TPU cage on the outside holds the foot in place without adding much weight.
Traction comes from a rubber herringbone outsole, and there’s one small detail that tells you who it was built for: a removable hair band attached to the heel. At £99.99 on Nike UK it’s the cheapest shoe on this list, which makes it an easy recommendation for club and school players who want proper performance tech without paying signature-shoe prices.