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Jacy Sheldon wasn't expecting to be approached to create a signature sneaker, but she joined the historic short list of female basketball players to hold the honor when Holo Footwear presented her with a deal she couldn't turn down. After the company gifted her a personalized version of NBA player Isaac Okoro’s shoe to show how much they understood her, and now, the newly traded Washington Mystics guard is displaying her personalized designs with pride.
“They presented [Okoro's] shoe, and they had a little strap on top of his shoe, and they kind of customized it to me,” Sheldon told her hometown news station in Ohio. “It had ‘Hear My Words,’ which is what my sister says to me before every game. And when I saw that, it was kind of like a moment of like, okay, these people, they get it. And obviously a lot of values that align, and ever since that day, it was super easy working with them.”
Sheldon reflected on the achievement, and the fact that she's among elite company is not lost on her.
“It’s crazy, especially when you think about it, on the women’s side, there are very few select women athletes who have their own signature shoes,” Sheldon said. “When that idea was presented to me, I was kind of a little bit like, ‘Are you serious?’” she added with a laugh.
Despite her initial shock, Sheldon took the chance to design her own sneaker seriously and was intentional about the features that the shoe included.
“Most important thing for me is to make it light quick, very, you know, great traction so you’re not slipping out there,” Sheldon said.
“They’ve felt great ever since I started wearing them,” the Mystics guard said. “That was obviously the number one priority in making them is comfortability and obviously safety within playing the game. So I’m excited to continue wearing them and for everyone else to wear them, too.”
The sneakers' soles have four small circles, representing Sheldon’s family, and then a larger circle that has “Family Always Comes First” written inside. Then the entire sole surrounding the circles is a chevron pattern, and on the back of the other shoe are two words, “Get To,” a nod to her younger sister Emmy and how she's inspired by her.
But for Sheldon, the part of the shoe she personally cherishes the most is the repeated arrow design that represents Emmy.
“They incorporated three little arrows, which is the Down syndrome sign, into the logo,” Sheldon said. “So that was really cool. They put on the back of the shoe, they put ‘L.E.A.D’ on there. It actually stands for Laura, Emmy, AJ, Duane, which is my whole family, and that was their idea.”
Sheldon was dealt from the Connecticut Sun to the Mystics right before the trade deadline for fellow 2024 first-rounder Aaliyah Edwards and a 2026 first-round draft pick. The former Ohio State star gets a chance to be a part of Washington's intriguing young core. Sheldon joins a lineup featuring two Rookie of the Year candidates in Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Sheldon has said she's ready to take on more responsibility on her new team, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. The WNBA sophomore enjoyed her life off the court in Connecticut but felt lost in the rotation behind players like Marina Mabrey and Bria Hartley.
