A’ja Wilson presents her second exclusive shoe: the Nike A’Two
After a successful debut model, the current WNBA champion and MVP presented her new shoe, which will hit stores in May.
For an athlete with as many achievements as A’ja Wilsonit’s hard not to always think about the future. And how can it be bigger and better?
Evolution is exactly what Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, league champion and Finals MVP, was looking for in the design of his second exclusive shoe.
On Tuesday, during his first world tour with Nike Basketball since becoming the brand’s flagship athlete two years ago, Wilson and the Beaverton, Oregon-based footwear company, presented the Nike A’Two. The 29-year-old WNBA superstar’s second sneaker and expanded apparel collection will be available globally on May 2 in family, adult and children’s sizes.
“The A’Two on May 2,” Wilson said with a smile during a virtual briefing ahead of the shoe’s release.
“The A’One was quite a journey, a true blessing,” Wilson stated in a press release. “It did the job and caught people’s attention. The A’Two is a step up from that solid foundation. It’s bigger, bolder and even more me. I put my whole heart into the shoe and the collection, creating something that everyone can continue to feel a part of, from girls to boys to boys.”
The concept of moving up is something the Columbia, South Carolina, native learned from her late grandmother, Hattie Wade Rakes. A pearl necklace that Rakes gave Wilson during her childhood inspired the design and narrative behind the Nike A’One, Wilson’s debut signature sneaker.
“My grandmother always made me think about the future,” Wilson told Andscape in February 2025, before introducing the Nike A’One. “He told me, ‘Don’t go overboard with your highs. Don’t go overboard with your lows. But always take them to the next level.’ He gave me his approval, but he said, ‘The A’Two are going to be even better.'”
The truth is that the performance and success of the Nike A’One made them difficult to beat. Wilson did it all wearing the A’One during the 2025 WNBA campaign, and the star of Las Vegas Aces became the first player in the league’s nearly 30-year history to win a WNBA championship and be named MVP, defensive player of the year and Finals MVP in the same season.
Meanwhile, the A’One earned respect and praise in sneaker culture. According to data released in mid-February by StockX, Wilson’s debut sneakers ranked second among the best-selling new models on the footwear resale platform, behind only the Nike Ja 3.
Additionally, the A’One’s “Pink A’ura” main colorway ranked No. 8 on StockX’s list of the 50 Best-Selling NBA and WNBA Exclusive Sneakers in 2025. And earlier this year, Nice Kicks named the A’One as Sports Shoe of the Year 2025 in the category of women’s models.
Wilson is one of six notable figures currently in the WNBA, along with Breanna Stewart (Puma, five models), Sabrina Ionescu (Nike, three models), Angel Reese (Reebok, one model), Jacy Sheldon (HOLO Footwear, one model) and Caitlin Clark (Nike, whose debut is expected this spring).
“The A’One was great, but the A’Two will be the best,” Wilson said. “The A’Two is something special to me.”
The design and innovation teams at Wilson and Nike Basketball didn’t reinvent the wheel when designing the A’Two. Instead, they were based on the A’One, reflecting a typical transition between debut and second-generation basketball sneaker models. Following the main motif introduced in the A’One, Nike designers created a new pearl-inspired upper, replacing the sneaker’s previous mesh material with a synthetic leather mold.
“We know the A’One was a huge success. The stories were impactful. The expression was perfect. So we wanted to make sure we brought that potential into the A’Two as well,” said London Johnson, Nike Basketball’s A’Two product line manager, during the pre-briefing.
“Knowing that the A’One had such a great mesh, we wanted to put an innovative spin on it and make sure A’ja’s foot felt super firm and exceptionally supportive. So this molded synthetic leather upper will do an incredible job of keeping A’ja’s foot planted and ensuring she can move in all the directions she needs, knowing she’s supported with every step.”
In the A’Two, Nike brought back the material used for the midsole of the A’One, but improved the outsole technology to accommodate Wilson’s versatile game on both ends of the court.
“With A’One, we had that great experience. Cushlon 3.0 foam. But with A’Two, we wanted to give it a more sophisticated touch and make sure we incorporated all the technology for this new version of A’ja’s signature collection,” Johnson said. “So, for A’Two, we added Cushlon 3.0, but we also added the Air Zoom unit in the forefoot to make A’ja super explosive in all her movements. So, you have that controlled precision as she moves quickly around the court, whether it’s penetrating the paint, shooting from the perimeter or blocking a shot.”
Aesthetically, the A’Two features iridescent details throughout the silhouette that make it stand out and fit the imposing personality of the shoe’s upper. The toe box also features a distinctive new embroidered star pattern, reminiscent of Wilson’s signature logo, whose graphics include an inverted Swoosh representing the apostrophe of his name.
“While it’s important that the sneaker performs well, we also want to make sure A’ja looks great in it,” Johnson said. “We’ve incorporated these really fantastic finishes. You can see them if the light hits them correctly. We have this color change on the logo, on the heel clip. You can also see it on the shaft.”
“It makes the shoe feel super special,” Johnson continued. “Truly unique. And an extension of A’ja.”
During the pre-briefing, Wilson highlighted one aspect of her signature line that she is especially proud of continuing with A’Two.
“I always wanted to make sure people understood that, yes, my sneakers come in women’s sizes in the box, but they are for all“Wilson said. “I’m so excited for the kids. Men, women and everyone in between. These sneakers are literally for everyone. I think we destroyed it. “Nike did a phenomenal job bringing my ideas and whimsical details to life in my mind.”
Just after 9:00 a.m. in Paris on Tuesday, the @Nike social media account posted a 20-second video showing Wilson sitting at a white-clothed table in front of an illuminated Eiffel Tower. A waiter appears and asks: “Ready for what’s coming?”
“Oh, I’m ready! Let’s go!” Wilson responds, before the waiter hands them a silver tray in the “A Pink Shoe” colorway of the new Nike A’Two.
The second shoe has arrived A’ja Wilson: Bigger and better for one of women’s basketball’s brightest stars.
