Nike’s history with Puerto Rico-themed sneakers goes back to first Air Force 1 “Puerto Rico” in 2000. It released in limited quantities a week before the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC and was met with overwhelming demand. In 2020, Nike attempted to bring back the iconic model but faced controversy over a positioning error of the flag. However, the Swoosh managed to bounce back strong in 2021 with the Air Max 97 “Puerto Rico.” For this year’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, Nike presents an entirely new bold colorway of the Air Force 1 celebrating the Island of Enchantment.
The 2022 Air Force 1 “Puerto Rico” features a mismatching design outfitted with pastel colors of pink, blue, green, orange, and red, likely nodding to the vibrant hues that dress the buildings of Old San Juan. “Puerto Rico” appears on the right heel tab in Nike’s Futura font, as well as on one of the lace dubraes in script typeface. The other lace dubrae shows a domino piece, nodding to the tile-based game played throughout the world, but especially popular in Puerto Rico. As a finishing touch, the custom insoles come decked out in Puerto Rican phrases, as well as “Nueva York” to nod to the city that hosts the national parade.
This year’s Nike Air Force 1 “Puerto Rico” is expected to release in June on SNKRS and at select retailers to coincide with the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, which is held on the second Sunday in June. Grab a first look below and stay tuned to Modern Notoriety for updates.
Nike Air Force 1 “Puerto Rico”
Style Code: DX6504-900
Release Date: June 2022
Photos via masterchefian/prvt.selection