When Reebok first signed Angel Reese while she was beginning her final season at LSU last October, the brand’s newly appointed President of Reebok Basketball didn’t hold back from any grand declarations.
“For my first appointment in this role, it had to be the GOAT,” said Shaquille O’Neal, aforementioned President and former LSU star himself. “There is no one making a bigger impact on the game right now than Angel Reese.”
Fast forward ten months, and the Chicago Sky rookie recently named to the WNBA All-Star Game is now unveiling her very first collection with the brand, dubbed “Reebok by Angel.”
Featuring three footwear styles and seven apparel pieces, the assortment launching on August 23rd spotlights Reese’s unapologetic bold style through metallic ‘silver chrome’ and an icy ‘always blue’ color palette.
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“I am honored to unveil my first collection with Reebok, and worked hand in hand with the brand to ensure each and every piece is designed to elicit confidence and expression,” said Angel Reese.
The footwear includes the Premier Road VI, Reebok’s retro runner fit for today’s style, along with a clean Classic Leather silhouette in white and the BB 4000 II in metallic silver. Each shoe features a crown along the Reebok typeface logo, along with custom insoles reading “Unapologetically Angel.”
From the blue bodysuit to the silver chrome shorts and top, to a tee declaring a favorite quote of hers, ‘When They Sleep on You…Tuck Them In!,’ the new Reebok by Angel collection is only the beginning of what’s to come between the brand and WNBA star ahead.
From a contractual standpoint, the timing also marks the first athletic brand product launch for a rookie from the heralded 2024 WNBA Draft class, which is made up of several brand headliners who each signed NIL deals with the likes of Reebok, Nike and New Balance last fall.
The new era of NIL has allowed for a brand like Reebok to bet on an emerging star in Reese and kickstart the 8-12 month product and apparel design timeline even sooner, well before her eventual debut pro season began. Bringing product to a fanbase that has been eager to support all things Angel should prove to be an impactful path towards developing an ongoing series of future Reebok launches for Reese.
After first beginning with this athleisure-leaning release, Reese is also expected to be the face of Reebok’s new performance basketball silhouette that will launch in 2025. There’s the potential for her own signature sneaker down the road as well, as she continues to establish her starpower across the WNBA and grow her league-leading social following of 4 million on Instagram.
“Angel is inspiring women everywhere to be bold and express themselves, and this collection is a representation of that,” said Portia Blunt, SVP of Product at Reebok.
As she continues to be a leading face of the brand going forward, working on her first collection and bringing a new look to the company for a new generation is only the starting point of her reign with Reebok.
“I wanted to create a collection that allowed women and girls everywhere to embrace their femininity and power in whatever they’re doing,” added Reese. “This collection is for her to be stylish and fierce on all occasions.”
