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For an athlete, a signature shoe is one of the highest honors. Young athletes may wear the shoes of their favorite players, and pretend they are the star. They are literally walking in their shoes. Whether they wanted to “Be Like Mike” or someone else, shoes mean something to an athlete.
Throughout the years, there have been WNBA stars who have had their own sneaker. Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson recently released her A’One shoe. New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart has her own sneakers. Her teammate Sabrina Ionescu has her own, and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has signed a shoe deal.
Before these players, names like Candace Parker, Rebecca Lobo, Lisa Leslie and others had their own shoes. Diana Taurasi, a Phoenix Mercury and WNBA legend, also had shoes of her own. With the rise of women’s sports, and stars of today getting sneakers, it is the perfect time to look back at shoes of the past.
It is time to look back at the signature shoes of the legend known as “DT.”
Taurasi entered the WNBA with a bang. Her successful, illustrious college career led to the Mercury selecting her with the first pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft.
Taurasi went on to win Rookie of the Year that season, and her play caught the attention of Nike.
In 2005, Nike released the Air Max Taurasi. The Air Max Taurasi paid tribute to her college days, as they had a UConn colorway. Taurasi’s shoes were a success, and the following year, Nike released the Shox DT. The Shox DT was short-lived, and she won them for one season. That was the year she averaged a career-best 25.3 points.
Of course, Taurasi had a long career filled with numerous accolades. Whether it was championships, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, being an All-Star or becoming the league’s all-time leading scorer, Taurasi accomplished great things. To some people, especially players, having a signature shoe is another achievement. Taurasi had two of them.
Taurasi and other legendary WNBA players paved the way for today’s stars. They went out there, gave it their all and companies like Nike or Reebok acknowledged them for their talent.
Those players set the tone and showed that women’s basketball players can get their own shoe. So, it is important to remember Taurasi and others as the game continues to grow.
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