Paige Bueckers Will Soon Become the First College Basketball Player to Get a Nike Sneaker Release
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Paige Bueckers may not yet even be a professional basketball sneaker, but that isn’t stopping the UConn star from getting her first sneaker release.
The Paige Bueckers x Nike GT Hustle 3 will make the the senior guard the first college basketball player to ever get a Nike sneaker release. Light blue, white and multiple shades of purple decorate the sneaker, which debuted over the summer with a female-focused design.
Details for Bueckers include the numbers “860” and “612 on the left tongue, the area codes for the University of Connecticut and her hometown of Edina, Minnesota. The right tongue then features a mark that could very well be Bueckers’ first Nike logo, and its corresponding heel features a graphic of her last name with edits to make it read, “Buckets.” Mismatching continues on the left heel with a “Be You, Be Great” message inside a text bubble.
The G.T. Hustle 3 brings a new forefoot Air Zoom unit layered with an Air Zoom strobel to the series, and a radial knit upper incorporates Flywire cabling for the lacing system.
Bueckers inked her Nike name image and license (NIL) deal just over a year ago in the lead-up to her junior season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and she’s also been a StockX brand ambassador since November 2021.
In a Footwear News story from the spring looking forward to college hoops after Caitlin Clark being drafted to the WNBA, sneaker YouTuber TJ Keasal suggested Bueckers could become the NCAA’s most marketable star. “Her energy is infectious and the relationship she has with coach Geno Auriemma resonates with people as endearing, keeping one of the most decorated coaches young,” Keasal said. “Above all else, Paige’s undying community efforts and advocacy for women, especially underrepresented Black women in all spaces of the sport, from coverage to opportunity, makes her an impactful ambassador for continued progress.”
Bueckers received multiple Player of the Year awards in 2021, in addition to being named a unanimous first-team All-American that year and again in 2024. She’s led UConn to the Final Four twice, including a championship game loss in 2022 after missing most of sophomore season with a knee injury.
The Paige Bueckers x Nike GT Hustle 3 will release December 7 through Nike’s website and select third-party retailers. Pricing is set at $190.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
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