UNCASVILLE, CT – JULY 24: The sneakers of Jacy Sheldon #4 of the Connecticut Sun against the Los Angeles Sparks on July 24, 2025 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Chris Marion/NBAE via Getty Images)
Connecticut Sun.
It’s been nearly two years since HOLO Footwear made its grand entrance into the basketball space – agreeing to a signature shoe deal with Isaac Okoro – and almost twelve months since they added the fifth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Jacy Sheldon, to their roster.
Since then, they haven’t given the gas pedal any room to breathe. Last month, Sheldon’s signature shoe, “The JS:01,” in the Bubblegum colorway officially released online at DICK’S Sporting Goods (during WNBA All-Star weekend) and was sold out within 24 hours. DICK’s has committed to launching six more colorways of the shoe between now and the end of the year.
Sheldon’s now former employer (she was traded to the Washington Mystics on Thursday afternoon), the Connecticut Sun, has also partnered with HOLO, making them the team’s official footwear sponsor for the 2025 season. And to top things off, HOLO signed viral music artist Michael Minelli (originally from Connecticut) and will be the premier sponsor of his 30 city “With Love” music tour. Minelli recently did the halftime performance at the Sun game and did some content with Sheldon while there (most of this can be found on HOLO’s Instagram).
With so much recent success, one can’t help but wonder how the burgeoning brand could possibly one-up itself. Well, we now have our answer.
Rebel Runner, Golden Hour.
Megell Strayhorn, HOLO Footwear.
HOLO Footwear Is Launching Their First Running Shoe
Think about all your favorite basketball shoe brands. Nike, Adidas, Under Armor, New Balance. What do they all have in common? They all have their own signature running shoe. Now, it’s time for HOLO to enter its name in the race.
“We’ve had so much success of late, and running is such a big part of the space,” CEO and Co-Founder of HOLO Footwear, Rommel Vega, said in an exclusive interview with me for Forbes. “So, we decided we wanted to play in that space. However, we also wanted to ensure that we did so through the lens of our brand. All our athletes train incredibly hard. So, we wanted to create a shoe that looks great and is built for performance.”
HOLO wants the best of both worlds: function and fashion. But how can they manage to tiptoe this thin line without sacrificing one for the other?
Rebel Runner, Whisper White.
Megell Strayhorn, HOLO Footwear.
Enter, Locol Design and Source – a footwear design and sourcing agency based in London, UK. They’ve worked with companies like Nike, Converse, Puma, and Adidas, and their Creative Director, Brian Kutsch, went to the same college (College of Creative Science in Detroit, Michigan) as Vega. They specialize in modernizing performance footwear, making them the perfect partner for HOLO in this mission.
“I called Brian up and told him we need a running shoe. We’re ready to get into the running space. And he was like, ”What do you want it to be? And how do you want it to be?” And I go, I don’t know. You’re the design team. You’re in London. You know what’s trending. You guys are ahead. Just don’t F*** this up. That’s the brief. That was it,” Vega joked.
After months of tireless planning and collaboration, the Rebel Runner was born.
Rebel Runner, Whisper White.
Megell Strayhorn, HOLO Footwear.
“They nailed it,” Vega said emphatically. “We’re really excited to be working with such a great group of talented designers. For me, especially, it is cool to work with someone I went to college with. It’s a full circle moment for both of us.”
“There are three key parts to the shoe. One is the fit. Then, there’s the foot strike management, and lastly, we have the DNA of HOLO,” Kutsch explained to me. “We were able to take one of their iconic models and really modernize it to fit into the foot running space.”
“It really is built for running, but it is also great for all-day wear,” Brian added. He even went as far as to coin it as “the Cadillac of running.”
Now, it is time for the world to see the masterpiece these two parties have banded together to create. The Rebel Runner is set to launch in five different colorways (seen below) for both men and women in March of 2026. However, the general public will get their first chance to see the shoe in person at the Atlanta Shoe Market this weekend (August 9-11). HOLO will be stationed at booths 5203 and 5205.
The Rebel Runner Colorways.
Megell Strayhorn, HOLO Footwear.
From there, the next step is to conduct wear testing with collegiate athletes and engage in sponsored community running events, including (potentially) the Grand Rapids River Bank Run.
There is still a lot that needs to happen before The Rebel Runner officially debuts in March. But one thing is for certain: if this is anything like what HOLO has done in the last two years, it is destined to be a success.