Closer Look at Cynthia Cooper's Nike Air C14

Of all the many groundbreaking moments that the late '90s brought us, the spotlight on women's basketball will go down in history. With the WNBA in full swing by 1996, several key players also boasted signature shoes, including Sheryl Swoopes (Houston Comets), Lisa Leslie (Los Angeles Sparks) and Dawn Staley with Nike, Rebecca Lobo (New York Liberty) with Reebok and Nikki McCray with Fila. 

And then there's Cynthia Cooper. Coop played college ball at USC, winning two NCAA championships before starting a ten-year career playing in Europe. At the age of 34, Cooper signed with the Houston Comets in the new WNBA league. From there, she went on a historic run with four WNBA championships. four WNBA Finals MVPs and two WNBA MVPs.  Welcome to Flight Club: Esoterics, where we look back at cult favorite colorways and sneakers lost to time.

Once Coop entered the league, Nike approached her to enter a deal; the first shoe she wore was the Air Max Shake Em Up, an Uptempo with a full-length Max Air unit and an unforgettable upper. Then she unveiled her first signature shoe: the Air C14. The shoe featured full-grain and tumbled leather on the upper, with a visible Max Air unit in the heel. The C14 was personal for Cooper as she led the Comets to a championship that year: on her shoes she wrote “mom” and the number “10” for her Comets teammate Kim Perrot, who passed away from lung cancer in 1999.

The Nike Air C14 represents a foundational moment in women’s hoops history. A lethal combination of raw talent and championship pedigree, Cooper dominated the hardwood while pushing the culture forward. We hope to see her fiery spirit channeled by the league when Houston gets an official WNBA team again in 2027.