A’ja Wilson levels up with her second signature shoe — the Nike A’Two

For an athlete who’s accomplished as much as A’ja Wilson, it’s difficult to not always be considering what’s next? And how can what’s next be bigger and better?

Evolution is exactly what Wilson — the reigning WNBA MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, league champion and Finals MVP — sought for the design of her second signature shoe.

On Tuesday, while in Paris during her first global tour with Nike Basketball since becoming a signature athlete with the brand two years ago, Wilson and the Beaverton, Oregon-based footwear company unveiled the Nike A’Two. The 29-year-old WNBA superstar’s second shoe and an expanded accompanying apparel collection will be available globally May 2 in full-family sizing, adult, and kids’ sizes.

“The A’Two on May Two,” Wilson said with a smile during a virtual prebriefing for the shoe ahead of its announcement.

“The A’One was a journey — a real blessing,” Wilson said in a press release. “It did exactly what it was meant to do and put people on notice. The A’Two is a level up of that strong foundation. It’s bigger, bolder and even more me. I poured my whole heart into the shoe and the collection — creating something that everyone can continue to feel a part of, from the girlies to the kids to the fellas.”

The concept of leveling up is something the Columbia, South Carolina, native learned from her late grandmother, Hattie Wade Rakes. A pearl necklace Rakes gifted Wilson during her childhood ultimately inspired the design and storytelling behind the Nike A’One, Wilson’s debut signature shoe.

“My grandma was someone who constantly had me thinking about the next thing,” Wilson told Andscape in February 2025, before unveiling the Nike A’One. “She’d say, ‘Don’t get too high with your highs. Don’t get too low with your lows. But always take it up a notch.’ She would give me the stamp of approval, but say, ‘The A’Two is gonna be even better.’’’

The truth is, the performance and success of the Nike A’One made it hard to top. Wilson did absolutely everything while laced in the A’One during the 2025 WNBA campaign, with the Las Vegas Aces star becoming 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 racked up respect and accolades within sneaker culture. According to data released in mid-February by StockX, Wilson’s debut shoe ranked No. 2 among the best-selling new models on the shoe reselling platform, behind only the Nike Ja 3.

Additionally, the lead “Pink A’ura” colorway of the A’One checked in at No. 8 on StockX’s list of the top 50 best-selling NBA and WNBA signature shoes in 2025. And earlier this year, Nice Kicks named the A’One as a 2025 Sneaker of the Year in the women’s model category.

Wilson is one of six signature headliners 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, debut model expected this spring).

“The A’One was great, but the A’Two is gonna be the one,” Wilson said. “The A’Two is something special to my heart.”

Wilson and Nike Basketball’s design and innovation teams didn’t reinvent the wheel when designing the A’Two. Instead, they built on the A’One, reflecting a typical transition between debut and second-signature basketball sneaker models. Continuing the primary motif introduced on the A’One, Nike designers crafted a new pearl-inspired upper, replacing the shoe’s previous mesh material with a synthetic leather mold.

“We know that the A’One was obviously a huge hit. The stories were hitting home. Expression was on point. So, we wanted to make sure that we brought all of that great stuff with the A’Two, as well,” London Johnson, Nike Basketball’s product line manager for the A’Two, said during the prebriefing.

“Knowing A’One had all that really great mesh, we wanted to take this in a new direction and make sure A’ja’s foot felt super locked down, super contained. So, this synthetic leather-molded upper — it’s going to do an incredible job of keeping A’ja’s foot locked down and making sure that she can move in every direction that she needs to move, and know that she’s supported every step of the way.”

On the A’Two, Nike brought back the material utilized for the midsole of the A’One, but upgraded the technology of the outsole to accommodate Wilson’s versatile game on both ends of the court.

“With A’One, we had that really great Cushlon 3.0 foam. But with A’Two, we wanted to turn it up a little bit, and make sure that we were bringing all the tech along, too, for this next iteration of A’ja’s signature collection,” Johnson said. “So, for A’Two, we brought in that Cushlon 3.0, but also brought in that Air Zoom bag unit in the forefoot so A’ja can be super explosive with all of her movements. So, you have that controlled precision while she’s hustling up and down the court — whether driving in the paint, taking shots from the perimeter or blocking a shot.”

Aesthetically, the A’Two introduces iridescent accents throughout the silhouette that make it pop and fit the larger-than-life personality of the shoe’s headliner. The toe box also features a new and distinct embroidered star pattern, playing off Wilson’s signature logo — graphics of which notably add an inverted swoosh to represent the apostrophe in her first name.

“While it’s important that the shoe is performing, we also want to make sure A’ja looks fly in it, too,” Johnson said. “We brought in all these really great finishes. You can see it — if the light catches it the right way. We have this color shift on the swoosh, on the heel clip. You can see it on the shank, too.

“It just makes the shoe feel super special,” Johnson continued. “Really unique. And an extension [of] A’ja.”

During the prebriefing, Wilson highlighted one aspect of her signature line she’s especially proud of continuing with the A’Two.

“I’ve always wanted to make sure that people understood, yes, my shoe may come in women’s sizes on the box — but it’s a shoe for everyone,” Wilson said. “I’m so excited for the kids. The males, females and everyone in between. This is a shoe for — literally — everybody. I think we crushed it. Nike did a phenomenal job of bringing my crazy thoughts and details in this brain of mine to life.”

Just after the clock hit 9 a.m. in Paris on Tuesday, the @Nike social media accounts posted a 20-second video showing Wilson sitting at a white-clothed table in front of a flashing Eiffel Tower. A waiter appears and asks, “Êtes-vous prêt pour la suite? [Are you ready for what’s next?]”

“Oh, I stay ready. Bring ’em out!” Wilson responds, before the waiter delivers a silver platter, displaying the “A Pink Shoe” lead colorway of the new Nike A’Two.

A’ja Wilson’s second shoe has arrived — bigger and better for one of the brightest stars of women’s basketball.

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