Angel Reese and Reebok Tap ‘Love Island USA’ Star Olandria Carthen for Latest Launch

This fall, the Barbies are wearing Reebok. On Nov. 3, the athletic apparel mogul disclosed that its latest colorway of Angel Reese’s signature shoe, Angel Reese 1, was hitting the market today, Nov. 14. 10 days later, the Bayou Barbie joined forces with another powerhouse to showcase the King Tiago Reese sneaker before it went live.
That fellow powerhouse, of course, is none other than Olandria Carthen. The Love Island USA Season 7 alumna and self-proclaimed ‘Bama Barbie donned the tan-colored monochromatic sneaker on Reebok’s Instagram feed with a chic white tennis dress, matching sweater and dainty jewelry. And to say fans loved the partnership was an understatement.
“THE COLLAB WE’VE BEEN WAITING FORRR BAYOU BARBIE X BAMA BARBIE💕🔥,” one user declared.
“Ok, Im influenced by Ola.. Need them 😍😍,” another fan exclaimed.
“Reebok wasn’t on my radar. Now that Olandria and Angel are working with them it now is!!,” a commenter penned.
Aligning with the campaign, Carthen—who scored a second-place spot on the television competition show with her beau Nic Vansteenberghe—made a guest appearance on the two-time WNBA All Star’s podcast Unapologetically Angel. During their chat, the former Louisiana State University baller, who wrapped her second season with the Chicago Sky in mid-September, actually revealed that she was trying to collab with the Alabama native long before the November drop.
“When I was releasing my shoes, first of all, I wanted you on the first ones with the pink, ’cause I knew pink was your favorite color. I was like, ‘We need to get Olandria right now,’” Reese disclosed. The pink colorway, titled Mebounds, dropped online on Sept. 18, alongside two more hues: Diamond Dust and Receipts Ready. Per SI, all three colorways cleared the brand’s shelves almost immediately.
Then, Reese revealed why the hypothetical late-summer link-up ultimately got pushed to mid-autumn: “We just didn’t have time.” She also explained to Carthen that her original vision consisted of the duo playing basketball and football—“I know you love football,” Reese told her guest—and then pivoting into a high-fashion look. “Girl, I had the whole thing,” the 2023 SI Swimsuit model gushed.
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Today, Nov. 14, two new styles of the Angel Reese 1 hit the market: King Tiago Reese and Slate Grey. The latest sneakers join the trio of initial September styles, along with the basketball player’s ‘Charm City AR1s’—which feature a two-toned black-and-purple style—released on Oct. 24.
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