Caitlin Clark has signed a multiyear partnership with DICK'S Sporting Goods and Foot Locker, marking the first time either retail giant has signed an individual athlete as a brand partner. The deal also represents the first joint athlete partnership between the two companies under DICK'S Inc., which owns both retailers.
“The deal marks the first time either brand has signed an individual athlete, man or woman, as a partner,” according to CNBC. While DICK'S and Foot Locker have previously worked with athletes on marketing campaigns, in-store events, and other ventures, neither had signed a player directly to the brand itself until now.
Under the agreement, Clark will work with the retailers on national and global campaigns, custom promotions tied to her signature footwear, apparel and product lines, as well as retail and digital experiences, fan activations, appearances and community programming, according to a statement from DICK'S Sporting Goods via PR Newswire. Clark described the pairing as a full-circle moment, noting that DICK'S was always a stop before the start of any sports season when she was growing up.
A Deal Rooted In Nostalgia
“DICK'S Sporting Goods was always a stop before the start of any sports season when I was growing up,” Clark said in the statement. She called being the first-ever brand partner for both DICK'S and Foot Locker a special, full-circle moment. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed; Complex reported that specific terms of the deal weren't shared.
DICK'S Executive Chairman Ed Stack said he looks forward to building on Clark's energy and winning new fans, while Foot Locker North America's senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Brett O'Brien, said Clark's influence reaches beyond basketball, inspires a new generation and energizes the game. Clark already carries endorsement deals with Nike, Wilson, Gatorade, State Farm and Panini, per the same CNBC report.
The Caitlin 1 And A Record-Setting Launch
The new retail partnership follows the global release of the Caitlin 1, the signature shoe Clark launched with Nike, which the outlet called the largest women's signature shoe launch in the company's history. The October 1 release included an 18-piece apparel assortment alongside the sneaker itself. Nike CEO Elliott Hill described it as the largest women's signature-shoe introduction in the brand's history, with the sneaker launching in 5,000 stores, according to a separate CNBC report. The shoe retails for $140.
Demand snapshots after launch varied by retailer. CNBC reported that Caitlin 1 inventory sold out within hours on Nike.com and other sneaker retail sites. Sneaker News, however, reported that just over 24 hours after launch, the Racer Blue and Warning Code colorways were sold out across Nike's own platforms while Foot Locker and DICK'S still had most sizes available, according to Sneaker News. That outlet also noted Nike has launched three WNBA signature lines in three years, starting with Sabrina Ionescu, then A'ja Wilson, and now Clark.
A Marketing Force On And Off The Court
A SportsPro ranking named Clark the most marketable player in the WNBA today and the 15th most marketable athlete in the world, per CNBC's reporting. She ranked sixth on Sportico's list of the 15 highest-paid female athletes of 2025, pulling in nearly $16 million in endorsements that year, according to Yahoo Sports. That same report said all 44 of her regular-season games in 2026 were scheduled to be nationally televised.
Clark's commercial momentum has continued even though the Indiana Fever were eliminated in the first round of the WNBA playoffs, and she has yet to win a title. The DICK'S and Foot Locker partnership adds another layer to an endorsement portfolio that already spans footwear, trading cards, insurance and sports drinks — a reminder that, title or no title, retailers are betting big on Clark's pull with fans.
