Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark recently incited a bidding war between the top shoe brands in sports. The price each company was reportedly willing to pay Clark seemed very much on the low side.
Nike came out victorious in the Clark shoe deal sweepstakes. The Oregon-based company signed her to a deal reported to be worth eight figures.
A report Friday from the Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Bachman revealed some specifics from Clark’s shoe deal negotiations. Clark reportedly signed an 8-year, $28 million deal with Nike. The agreement also comes with Clark’s own signature shoe.
Adidas and Under Armour had reportedly both made offers to Clark.
Adidas’ proposal was worth a measly $6 million over four years, per the Wall Street Journal. Under Armour’s deal would have paid Clark $4 million annually — higher than Nike’s $3.5 million per year — but over just four years in total.
Every offer Caitlin Clark got before signing with Nike 💰 @brkicks pic.twitter.com/fOS0DCmsV8
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 23, 2024
The report indicated that Puma was unwilling to go over $3 million per year.
Clark has turned into one of the most marketable stars in sports. She has celebrities repping her merchandise and her Fever jersey even surpassed one high-profile NFL team’s 2023 jersey sales in a single day.
If Clark continues on her current trajectory, her reported $28 million deal with Nike may very well be considered a bargain in a few year’s time.
