• by Sarah Mahoney , Yesterday

Last year, Shaquille O’Neal’s face-shaped gummies looked like a punchline. Instead, they became Hershey’s top sweets launch of 2024, selling more than 11 million units and proving that when it comes to candy, bigger and stranger can be better. Now the NBA Hall of Famer is back with another outsize idea: sneaker-shaped gummies in three new flavors.

Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies, created with The Hershey Company, are molded after O’Neal’s best-selling Shaq Footwear sneakers. The XL-sized chews come in mango (orange), lime (green) and strawberry (red), a nod to both his size 22 shoes and larger-than-life personality. The launch builds on the brand’s Originals, shaped like Shaq’s face, and Sours. Those were inspired by the athlete’s nicknames: Diesel, the Big Cactus, and the Big Shamrock — in pineapple, mixed berry and watermelon flavors.

Hershey insists this is more than a novelty. Adults aged 20 to 34 are both the core sneakerhead demo and the top gummy buyers, making sneaker-shaped candy a logical — if still bizarre — next step. “This is about more than flavor; it’s about building something fun, lasting and larger than life,” said Vivek Mehrotra, senior brand manager at Hershey, in the announcement.

That sneaker tie-in carries added resonance given O’Neal’s history. Back in the 1990s, he famously walked away from a $40 million Reebok deal so that he could make more affordable shoes in partnership with Walmart. Today, he’s the second-largest shareholder of Authentic Brands Group, which owns more than 50 brands, including Reebok, Champion and Izod. The new candy is another reminder that O’Neal isn’t just a Hall of Famer — he’s become a collaboration all-star, building his brand name across categories.

Hershey is expanding the Shaq-A-Licious brand beyond the candy aisle, rolling out immersive experiences like a Shaq-A-Licious overlay on Hersheypark’s indoor Laff Trakk coaster this fall. The company sees the line as part of its broader innovation strategy, mixing wildcards like Shaq gummies with bedrock brands like Hershey’s, KitKat and Reese’s.

On Hershey’s most recent earnings call, chairman and CEO Michele Buck emphasized the role innovation plays in keeping the category fresh, even as consumers grow more value conscious. “Those innovations can play a sustainable role in the category,” she said, pointing to the Shaq gummies alongside other bets like Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried, Jolly Rancher Ropes, the acquisition of Sour Strips and the Reese’s partnership with Oreo. “We think this gives us a good blend of news, incrementality, and disruption.”

For Hershey, the Shaq line is proof that goofy ideas can turn into a serious growth brand. And for O’Neal, it’s another reminder that whether he’s making sneakers, restaurants or gummies, he’s building for culture — not just for laughs.