Dec 20, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against the Creighton Bluejays during the second quarter at Chase Center. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice unveils player-exclusive Jordan Brand shoes

Originally posted on Sneakers on SI | By Pat Benson | Last updated Jan 25, 2025 5:01 PM ET

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The partnership between the UCLA Bruins and Jordan Brand has proven to be one of the most exciting footwear stories of the decade. Since 2021, UCLA and Jumpman have collaborated on many of the best kicks on the court.

More importantly, the partnership has helped pave the way for a generation of star athletes like Bruins guard Kiki Rice. The standout point guard has become the most notable Jordan Brand athlete on UCLA's campus.

Jordan Brand

When #1 ranked and undefeated UCLA (19-0) faces #8 Maryland tomorrow, the game will feature more than elite basketball—it will showcase a milestone in Jordan Brand's evolution, the Heir Series. Earlier this season, Rice spoke on the release of Jumpman's first women's basketball shoe.

Jordan Brand NIL athlete Kiki Rice will debut one of her personal Player Editions (PE) of the Heir Series, a shoe she helped influence as part of Jordan Brand's commitment to putting women athletes at the forefront of basketball innovation.

Since signing with Jordan Brand in 2022, Rice has been instrumental in shaping the future of basketball footwear. We have seen Rice work with Jordan Brand on multiple high-profile events, and tomorrow will be another epic installment of sneaker history at UCLA.

Jordan Brand

Rice's custom player-exclusive colorway celebrates both her journey at UCLA and her connection to the ocean, featuring an outsole that emulates sand and ocean-inspired details throughout the upper.

The shoe represents the broader transformation happening in women's basketball, where insights from female athletes are creating innovative products that enhance the game for all players.

Unfortunately for athletes and fans, Rice's player-exclusive colorway will not hit shelves. However, online shoppers can purchase the performance basketball shoes in general-release colorways for $110 in adult sizes before discounts are applied on the Nike website.

Jordan Brand

Based on feedback from many of the 15 women athletes in the Jordan Brand Family, the Heir Series features an exterior layer of foam that protects a drop-in Cushlon 3.0 midsole, allowing the foot to be as low to the ground as possible to drive a flexible court feel for running and cutting.

A rubber herringbone traction pattern adds to that court feel, enabling quickness and control. Meanwhile, an adaptive, flexible cage inspired by the connection and teamwork central to the women's game surrounds the shoe, driving support and comfort while preventing ankle rolling, the most common injury among women hoopers.

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