Brand: Nike

Model: Air Max 97 “Puerto Rico”

Release Date: June 5

Price: $175

Buy: Nike SNKRS and select retailers TBC

What We’re Saying: Nike has celebrated Puerto Rican heritage through special-edition drops and community efforts since 2000. A “Puerto Rico” version of an iconic Nike sneaker has become a tradition over the past two decades. This year, Nike has teamed up with Mellany Sanchez to rework the Nike Air Max 97 “Silver Bullet” in honor of the Caribbean island.

Sanchez assisted by providing inspiration for the design team, styling the photoshoot, and suggesting locations for 1 of the 2 murals Nike is putting up in New York as part of the Puerto Rican Day celebrations on June 13.

Overall, the “Silver Bullet” colorway is left largely intact. It’s in the details that the homage to Puerto Rico shines through. The sock liner and the Nike Swoosh embroidering on the midfoot use the colors of the Island, while the flag is present on the tongue and Air sole bubble. The phrase, “Aquí Me Quedo” or “Here I'll Stay” is present on the insoles.

To keep the campaign and storytelling authentic, Nike enlisted the help of Sanchez and 75 other Latinx professionals. To top it all off, Celso Gonzalez, a Puerto Rican mosaic and mixed-media mural artist, will create murals in Brooklyn and East Harlem featuring the Nike Air Max 97 “Puerto Rico”.

“Our people have a really incredible way of being classic - of finding what works for us and cherishing it generation after generation. It's important that we share these stories and the work we're doing in the community,” says Sanchez. “I was excited to join with Nike to create an elevated platform to celebrate Nuyorican permanence and excellence through design, style, art, and storytelling.”

The “Puerto Rico” Nike Air Max 97 will be released on Nike SNKRS and at select retailers on June 5 for $175. Each pair will come with a towel with the phrase “Puerto Rico Te Quiero” which translates to “Puerto Rico, I Love You.”

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