Paige Bueckers Becomes First College Player to Get a Nike Sneaker

Paige Bueckers, one of the top-ranked female athletes in college basketball, is set to enter her final year of play at the University of Connecticut. Plagued by injuries, Bueckers looks to overcome her setbacks in hopes of leading her UCONN Huskies back to the promised land, earning her a national championship before heading off to what will be a fruitful career in the WNBA. Before that, Nike will honor their NIL athlete with a special edition colorway of their latest silhouette in their Greater Than series, the Nike GT Hustle 3. This makes Bueckers the first NIL athlete to receive a Nike sneaker.

The Nike GT Hustle 3 debuted at the beginning of July as a part of the Blueprint Pack and, more recently, was released as a part of the Electric Pack, both tying back to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games. As we gear up for the start of basketball later this year, Nike will drop plenty of colorways of the GT Hustle 3, including outfitting some of their sponsored colleges and athletes in team-issued colorways.

Lucky for us, this includes a Paige Bueckers edition, the first Nike sneaker set to release at retail for the college star and future full-time Nike athlete (it’s inevitable, right?). While details are scarce, Sole Retriever can confirm that Buecker’s GT Hustle 3 will come in a multi-color theme. Nike describes the pair as having the area codes 860 and 612 on the upper, which represent UCONN (860) and her hometown of Edina, Minnesota (612). Alongside this, the sockliner features “Paige’s personal mantra and her nickname.”

The Nike GT Hustle 3 Paige Bueckers was originally set to release on September 12, 2024. After a delay, they will now drop on December 7 at Nike and select retailers online and in-store. Coming in men’s sizing, retail is set at $190. Download the Sole Retriever mobile app for the latest updates on this release, and other exciting sneaker news, raffles, and more in the sneaker and streetwear world.