FBL Sport, an Adelaide-based basketball footwear and apparel brand, has partnered with basketball star Shyla Heal to launch Australia’s first basketball shoe named after a female athlete. This historic release is part of the Shyla Heal Collection, a range designed to inspire the next generation of female basketball players with Heal’s powerful mantra: “You can.”

Heal, daughter of former Australian baby boomer and NBA player Shane Heal, turned down traditional endorsement deals with global brands to partner with FBL Sport, an up-and-coming Australian company that shares her vision. The result is the Shyla Heal Signature Shoe, designed for peak performance and part of a wider Shyla Heal collection that includes basketballs, hats and socks. By choosing to collaborate with a brand that prioritizes the needs of female athletes, Heal is sending a clear message: Australian women deserve gear that matches their talent and ambition.

“For years, I’ve seen young girls struggle to find basketball shoes that fit them. I’ve experienced it myself: Often times, I’ve had to choose between men’s shoes or settle for shoes designed for another sport. It’s crazy that in a country with such high female participation in basketball, that choice is still so limited,” Heal said.

Heal joins an exclusive group of global athletes with their own signature shoes, standing alongside icons such as Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart. Steve Rolton, founder of FBL Sport, highlighted the local significance of this collection, noting: “The growing interest in women’s sport in Australia, highlighted by the recent success of our athletes in Paris, shows that young Australian girls have world-class role models in their own backyard.”

Available for pre-order now and available from select retailers from September 5, the Shyla Heal Collection sets a new standard in Australian sportswear. This collaboration not only highlights the growing influence of women in sport, but also shows how local brands can lead the way in promoting this movement. By supporting female athletes and tailoring products to their specific needs, FBL Sport is making a significant contribution to the future of Australian sport.

About the collection

• Signature shoe: $120 (includes free delivery Australia-wide)
• Basketball of a special kind: $39.95 (sizes 6 and 7)
• Signature cap: $29.95
• Signature socks: $19.95 (3-pack)

Basketball in Australia:

Basketball continues to be one of Australia’s fastest growing sports, with over 1.3 million participants, including over 400,000 women. Basketball is the country’s second biggest sport, played regularly by approximately 750,000 children aged 6 to 13. With this rising popularity, the Shyla Heal Collection provides young Australian athletes with the tools they need to reach new heights, inspiring them to dream big and achieve great things.

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