The Nike Cailtin 1 Colorway Tracker

The Nike Caitlin 1’s highly anticipated debut is upon us, and the reaction every Caitlin Clark fan should have is a feeling of relief. After years of rumors, teases, and trickling of information, the time has come for the Caitlin 1 to produce on the court and at retail. With Nike’s best behind the design and marketing, there is no doubt that they will give Caitlin and her signature shoe every chance to break through in a way that we have not seen a Nike basketball shoe do since the early 2010s era when kids were lining up for general release LeBrons, Kobes, and KDs. Even if they have to give us every colorway possible, they will do it.

Actually, they have done it. Every colorway possible and more. It is a lot to take in, but that’s the job, right?

Maybe Caitlin Clark is just letting the world know that she’s very interested in the full spectrum of colors. How else would you explain the bombardment of Nike Caitlin 1 we have been treated to for the past several weeks? The Caitlin 1 was officially revealed on June 17, and every week since then, we have been tracking every new colorway that will either drop in stores or stay in Clark’s personal collection.

The “OGs” - Nike Caitlin 1 Caitlin Blue, Nike Caitlin 1 Warning Code

If Nike, Caitlin, and the WNBA have their druthers, Clark will become one of the league’s GOATs and win a few MVPs, championships, and gold medals along the way, and 20 years from now, we’ll be celebrating the unveiling of her statue outside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The question that sneakerheads will have is what will be on her feet. For Sue Bird (Nike Air Zoom Huarache 2K4 “Birdy” PE) and Lisa Leslie (Nike Air Total 9), the choice was obvious. Until we go through the entirety of her career and find her version of the Nike Kobe 5 and Nike Kobe 6, aka iconic performance basketball shoes that kids will wear across generations, all we have to go with are the Caitlin 1s we’ve seen so far. And right now, the two most likely colorways to be considered for CC’s way too premature statue are what will be considered her OGs: the debut Caitlin Blues and the yellow Warning Codes.

The All-Stars - Nike Caitlin 1 White Label, Nike Caitlin 1 All-Star PE

Not every Nike All-Star with a signature shoe gets two colorways for the showcase weekend, but it’s not shocking that Clark would make the shortlist as a way for the Caitlin 1 to make a big splash in Chicago. Joining the White Label collection was Clark’s crystal clean white Cailtin 1s with metallic silver accents that she wore during All-Star Practice. Unfortunately, the inclusion was in name and theme only as there do not appear to be plans to release them at the moment. And unless something changes over the next several months, the same could be said for the gradient pair that Clark wore for the big game. An early contender for best Caitlin 1 colorway based on the reaction they garnered online, the color palette can be interpreted in a number of ways, and no one would be wrong. Indiana Fever colors? Better sunsets than J. Balvin’s Jordans? There is a lot to talk about, except for the lack of a retail release, to many people’s disappointment.

Playoff Mode - Nike Caitlin 1 Berry Fade

Caitlin and the Indiana Fever might not be in the playoffs by the time this piece goes live if A’ja Wilson has her way, but Nike has not stopped delivering with stunning colorways for their Clark. For her playoff rematch against the Las Vegas Aces, Clark wore what is being called the Berry Fade with the mismatched gradient uppers that once again have a sunset vibe to them. The multiple Swooshes also take on a similar tact as they transition from shiny metallic pink to peach, then to pink, and finally to solid, contrasting white.

The ‘Muricas - Nike Caitlin 1 Team USA PEs

Assuming everything goes to schedule, the Nike Caitlin 3 will be on Clark’s feet when she represents Team USA in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Until we get there, we have the two Caitlin 1s PEs that Clark wore when she teamed up with Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers as part of the USA’s deep bench en route to their FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup win this past September. While these two colorways will remain a part of Clark’s collection for now, Nike could run them back the following summer as one of the final drops before the Nike Caitlin 2.

Celebrity Row - Nike Caitlin 1 Black, Nike Caitlin 1 Friendship Bracelet, Nike Caitlin 1 Sea of Red

Being the most hyped prospect in WNBA history coming out of college means that the spotlight is going to be on you no matter where you go. It also opens a lot of doors and grants you audiences with people who would normally be out of reach, like Taylor Swift, Travis Scott, or Andy Reid. While Reid might sound like the answer to the question, “which one is not like the others?”, the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Kansas City Chiefs might be closer to Clark’s fandom because the Chiefs are her childhood team. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Reid would be gifted a pair of the upcoming Sea of Red colorway that are only missing the Chiefs logo to complete the homage.

Meanwhile, it would be shocking if Travis Scott didn’t have a sample of the black Caitlin 1s with a reverse Swoosh in hiding at the moment. For now, we have to “settle” for the version with Swoosh facing the right way that he helped tease in Caitlin’s IG post during the reveal. And then there’s the real Nike Caitlin 1 colorway that will save all of Nike’s ills and bring their stock price up and to the right once more, if we are to believe in the power of the Swifties: the Taylor Swift-inspired Friendship Bracelet. If people think that lining up for sneakers or ephemera is wild, wait until they see the Swifites try to tangle with sneakerheads and resellers should these Caitlin 1s get a retail release.

Kobe Adjacent - Nike Caitlin 1 Yellow, Nike Caitlin 1 Grinch, Nike Caitlin 1 Purple Venom

As one of the many (and there are many) flag bearers of the Kobe Protro line, Caitlin Clark honored The Black Mamba by breaking records and winning awards along the way. Clark’s list of Kobe player exclusives puts her on a very short and very enviable list. But like all good things, they had to come to an end. The Kobes will end up being a footnote in her sneaker history, as what will come after will ultimately define her footwear legacy.

That being said, Caitlin’s association with the Nike Kobe brand is far from over, even if fans have to stretch a little to find those connections. Take the lime green Caitlin 1 colorway that people have taken to calling a Grinch colorway. Despite losing the red highlights on the iconic Kobe 6 colorway, regardless, the sneaker has been given the Grinch moniker, and it’s going to take a monumental effort to flip that narrative, especially if it were to drop during the holiday season. At least the Purple Venom colorway has some Laker vibes thanks to the striking color of the upper and the venom connection to the Mamba persona, while the yellow and black PE brings back memories of the various Del Sol colorways early in the Nike Kobe run. Now if we could only tell what that logo on the left shoe means…

Wild Cards - Nike Caitlin 1 Mint, Nike Caitlin 1 Ice Cold, Nike Caitlin 1 Midnight Fever, Nike Caitlin 1 Racer Blue Pink, Nike Caitlin 1 Halloween

Thankfully, there are Caitlins that do not necessarily fit into any of the previously mentioned categories. It might be a hassle for the purposes of this exercise, but every signature shoe needs to be able to spread its wings and create colorways that come with unexpected inspirations. The Ice Cold Nike Caitlin 1 has the potential to be Clark’s second Disney-inspired sneaker with snowy vibes perfectly matching Queen Elsa’s look from Frozen 2, following in the footsteps of Clark’s Kobe 5s that are purportedly inspired by The Parent Trap. For the WNBA fans who have been around since the beginning, the Mint Caitlin 1 shares plenty of vibes and looks of the New York Liberty’s uniform. Is it a sign of where Caitlin wants to go should the opportunity present itself? A Clark-Sabrina Ionescu team-up would be wild, but very exciting from a sneaker perspective.

Rounding out the Wild Cards are a Caitlin 1 Midnight Fever that shares some of the energy of the Berry Fade Playoff PE, sans the mismatched theme, and the Racer Blue Pink pair that gives us a deeper look at what can be possible with the sneaker when Nike gives it a two-toned look. Not surprisingly, holiday-themed Caitlins are on the way and first up is a Halloween pair with glow-in-the-dark elements.

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. His current hot take is that people are really underrating the Psyduck trading card market. Email: juan@soleretriever.com Instagram | Twitter | Bluesky | Threads : @ezyville