Britt Schellhammer only thought she was going to get a picture.
The 14‑year‑old from Fishers, Indiana, has logged her share of commercial work for brands like Thornton’s and Finish Line, but the one she was booked for in late December 2025 was different. She had just spent two hours filming with one of her state’s biggest stars, Caitlin Clark, for a new Gatorade commercial that even included a surprise appearance by Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
After wrapping up filming — and while Britt was still processing everything that had just happened — her father, Eric Schellhammer, asked Clark’s assistants if the 24-year-old would be willing to take a photo with Britt, and they happily agreed.
“We took a couple of pictures, and I thought we were done,” Britt said. “Then somebody she was with had a Sharpie and then Caitlin took off her shoes, signed them and gave them to me.”
“I wish I had gotten a picture of Britt’s face when [Caitlin] handed her the shoes,” Eric Schellhammer said. “It was pure shock. Her jaw hit the floor.”
Caitlin Clark gifts 14-year-old ‘extremely rare’ Nike shoes
Clark gifted Britt an autographed pair of Nikes, specifically the Nike Kobe 6 Protos, from the signature shoe line of NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
The low-top silhouette’s colorway features a purple upper that fades from violet to lavender, a white swoosh (or check) and a purple checkerboard pattern on the inner lining and heel.
A personal pair of Kobes autographed by Caitlin Clark would be considered a grail in most sports memorabilia and sneakerhead collections. Still, it wasn’t until the Schellhammers returned home and researched the pair that they realized just how special the shoes were.
“I really didn’t think anything of them. I just thought they were pretty,” Britt said. “I didn’t realize how rare they were until I made the post and people started saying they weren’t going to be released for a long time, if at all. It was just shocking.”
The shoes Clark gifted Britt have dubbed the “Vanessa Bryants” after Bryant’s widow, since she first previewed them online in February 2025. Nike has not released the shoes to the general public and has not provided any information on whether it will.
This isn’t the first time the Iowa women’s basketball star has given fans unreleased Nikes. After a win over the Atlanta Dream in May 2025, Clark handed a young fan a pair of game‑worn Nike Kobe 5 player exclusives, which are custom shoes made for athletes and typically not sold to the public.
How much are signed Caitlin Clark shoes worth?
Eric Schellhammer, who runs his daughter’s social media, posted photos of Britt and Clark’s encounter on Feb. 18. A self-proclaimed “huge shoe guy,” even he didn’t realize the magnitude of these shoes until he started receiving direct messages about them, some with astronomical offers to buy them.
“Some of the numbers people were sending…I’m not going to give the exact numbers, but they were very substantial. I’ll tell you that,” he said. “The shoes are extremely rare, especially if they don’t get released.”
There are a handful of signed Caitlin Clark Nike Kobe shoes currently offered for sale on eBay, generally listed in the $6,000 to $8,500+ range, depending on the condition and level of authentication. A pair of Clark-signed Kobe V Protos sold for $2,299 on eBay in December 2025.
However, none appear to be game-worn or a personal pair from Clark. And none are unreleased shoes like the “Vanessa Bryants,” making Britt’s pair a unicorn in the collector market and difficult to appraise.
Brendan Dunne, senior director of customer community and engagement at StockX, an online marketplace specializing in sneakers and streetwear, estimated an unreleased, autographed pair like this “could fetch as much as $5,000, depending on buyer demand.” He noted that personalized signatures usually reduce the number of interested buyers and can lower the item’s value compared to a non-personalized autograph.
Despite offers, teen says ‘absolutely not’ to selling rare Caitlin Clark shoes
Eric Schellhammer said he texted Britt screenshots, wondering whether she would consider any of these offers. Within minutes, she replied with “absolutely not.”
“Caitlin personally gave these to her; she wanted her to have those, and I think those shoes are going to sit in her room until she moves out, and then she’ll take those with her,” he said. ” I think these will be something she cherishes for the rest of her life.”
In another twist of fate, Clark and Britt wear the same shoe size. Britt — an aspiring basketball player who already has a Division I offer before entering high school — laughed that she could hoop in them. But she’s not risking it.
“These will stay behind a glass case,” Britt said. “These aren’t touching the hardwood anytime ever.”
New Caitlin Clark Gatorade commercial expected in March
The Gatorade commercial, which is to advertise the return of one of the company’s flavors, will air sometime in March, Britt said.
“I have nothing but great things to say about Caitlin and her team for making a 14-year-old feel super comfortable,” Eric Schellhammer said. “I’ve coached Britt in thousands of basketball games, and this kid doesn’t get nervous. But when you get on set, and you see Caitlin Clark standing there, I could tell she was a little bit nervous when they started shooting. But Caitlin, you know, made her feel welcome.”
Gatorade and Nike have sponsored Clark since 2023 and 2024, respectively.
When does Caitlin Clark play again?
Clark will soon return to organized basketball in March as a member of the Team USA qualifying roster for the 2026 FIBA World Cup.
The qualifying tournament runs from March 11-17, 2026. The tournament will be the first time fans have seen Clark on the court since she suffered a groin injury in a game against the Connecticut Sun on July 15.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Teen gets rare, signed Nikes from Caitlin Clark — and she’s not selling
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
