USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins may not get to play on the hardwood for the entire 2025-26 college basketball season due to torn ACL sustained in last season’s NCAA Tournament, but she will soon get her own sneakers from Nike, which is part of the multi-year NIL deal she has with the sneaker giant.
Complex Sneakers recently broke the news that Watkins is getting two Nike G.T. Future PEs and the reaction from fans says it all.
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@p8s_design fired off instantly: “I need every color way 🔥”
@guurlmelanie couldn’t hold back either: “These are so 🔥🔥🔥🔥!”
@kylethehype kept it simple: “Tough 🔥”
@thomasgswagga came in with emoji overload: “🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥”
@kylewashington__ added to the heat check: “🔥🔥”
“Every Color Way Need Em,” one fan wrote.
@ms.popular91 predicted: “I know @thatkidjayden going to have every color before everybody”
@kevmoye28 dropped fire and hearts:
“Those are dope 🔥🔥🔥 Juju @jujubballin 😍😍😍 can’t wait for them to drop 💗💗💗”
One fan tried to shade Watkins and her sneaker release news.
@raymeezy wrote: “Them shoes trash…don’t do it juju ‼️”
JuJu Watkins and Nike’s Game Changing Sneaker Partnership
The USC Trojans signed a multi-year contract with Nike in October 2022 when she was just in her senior year of high school. Klutch Sports CEO and LeBron James’ close friend, Rich Paul, and Watkins’ agent handled the negotiations.
In October 2024, she extended the deal to sign “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball,” per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
According to Sole Retriever, Nike also officially announced that Watkins would receive two player-exclusive (PE) colorways on the new Nike G.T. Future model.
Here are the colorway details via Sneaker Bar Detroit:
- Colorway 1: Black, Deep Burgundy, Electro Green — with style code IQ8495‑001.
- Colorway 2: Metallic Silver, Chalk, Light Crimson — style code IQ8495‑002
Launch details:
- March 5, 2026: Metallic Silver/Chalk/Light Crimson (IQ8495‑002)
- March 19, 2026: Black/Electro Green/Deep Burgundy (IQ8495‑001)
The same source said the price point will be $170 per pair. It will be a high-performance show, featuring Zoom Air, Cushlon 3.0, Zoom Strobel, synthetic upper with an internal bootie.
Ross Klein, Nike’s Men’s Basketball Footwear design director, said:
“The idea behind the G.T. Future was to create something meaningful: a reflection of where the game is going and who it’s being shaped by. Our team set out to blend performance, style and culture in a way that feels honest to the athlete and true to the world they move through. We took time to understand what today’s athlete needs, how they think, how they play, and how they express themselves beyond the court. This shoe is made for that rare kind of player who doesn’t just play the game — they feel it, shape it and push it forward.”
The future looks bright for the Trojans star who will be missed in the 2025-26 season as she rehabs from ACL injury.
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