The Ewing X Yandel Collab Celebrates the Latine Group’s Love For Sneaker Tradition

Uptowns. Jordans. Foams. Classics. Maxes. Gazelles. Stan Smiths. In at this time’s world, these aren’t simply sneakers — they’re cultural legends. These iconic kicks helped elevate what started as a each day side of life for Brown and Black of us dwelling in internal cities to a worldwide tradition. However because the plenty have embraced sneaker tradition and streetwear, the roots and the individuals on the coronary heart of the motion are likely to get neglected. Of their newest collaboration with reggaetón famous person and legend Yandel, Ewing Athletics and Product Line Supervisor, Jonas Guerrero try to vary that, by paying homage to a group that has labored alongside the Black American group in elevating sneakers to turning into the artwork kind that they’re at this time: Latines.

“As a Latino, I’ve all the time been huge on [shining] mild on our group. I need to inform Latin tales,” the 37-year-old designer tells POPSUGAR.

Telling Latine tales by sneakers is a sentiment that Guerrero admits, that even to him, at instances sounds ironic. In spite of everything, sneaker tradition has its roots in hip-hop, an artwork kind that has included contributions from Latines since its inception. However, akin to the best way genres like rap and reggaetón have turn into extra industrial over time, Guerrero has noticed an analogous transformation within the sneaker recreation.

“Earlier than it was extra about individuality, standing out, , having a voice. Now, it is all financial,” he provides. “You possibly can have x sum of money and purchase something, whereas earlier than you needed to know somebody to know the place to get it.”

However whereas Guerrero brings that old-school ardour and mentality to his work, his newest sneaker design, the Ewing x Yandel Rogue, which is ready to drop in early 2024, bridges the hole between the previous and future. Guerrero cites the Nike Magazine, a shoe he refers to because the “holy grail” of sneakers, together with reggaetoneros Wisin y Yandel’s basic album “Los Extraterrestres,” as influencing his design course of and getting him right into a extra alien, futuristic mindset. That is mirrored within the Yandel Rogue’s grey, white, and scuba blue colorway.

“It is a shoe for the long run,” he says. And at a time when Latine artists like Dangerous Bunny have turn into a few of the largest stars on this planet, a collaboration with an icon like Yandel, who not solely stays related however helped reggaetón attain international heights, is a becoming option to acknowledge the place Latines are going whereas honoring the various contributions our tradition has made to road fashion over many years. The Puerto Rican artist has been having fairly a profitable 12 months. Yandel grew to become a two-time nominee on the 2023 Latin Grammys, not too long ago signed a cope with Warner Music Latin, and in addition made historical past on the Empire State Constructing in New York by turning into the primary Latin act to carry out on the venue throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.

“An enormous portion of [the Ewing Athletics] shopper base is Latino. And whereas we have executed all these rap collabs, I needed to pitch one thing primarily based on Latin music,” says Guerrero. So he pitched them the Yandel collab. And as destiny would have it, the reggaetonero was already a fan of the model, having bought a pair of Ewing Athletics kicks every week prior.

“I am an enormous fan and collector of sneakers and an enormous fan of NY Knicks legend and NBA Corridor of Famer Patrick Ewing. Now, I get to have my very own shoe in collaboration with one of many shining stars within the sports activities world,” Yandel states in a current press launch.

However for Guerrero, who’s Puerto Rican and Dominican, this undertaking is greater than only a collaboration with an artist he grew up idolizing. It is the end result of all the pieces he’s — his story. The kid of first-generation immigrants, Guerrero grew up within the Bronx. Unable to afford the costlier manufacturers just like the Jordans and Nikes his friends have been carrying, he would take markers to attract his personal “Jordan” or “23” on his Filas and British Knights. As he bought older, his creations grew to become extra advanced with bandana print and or knock-off Gucci print.

“I used to be attempting to make it my very own,” he says.”I’ve all the time been into sneakers and individuality. I’ve all the time been distinctive and needed issues a sure approach.” However regardless of this early penchant for customizing kicks, Guerrero by no means thought that he’d be ready to design his personal.

“My objective was by no means to be a designer. I all the time thought, ‘I am a poor Dominican child from the Bronx, I can not be a designer,'” Guerrero admits. Not solely did he not have the correct school diploma for it, however he additionally by no means noticed individuals like himself in these positions. Happily, he was capable of beat the percentages and leverage his ardour for kicks into an internship at Advanced Journal, the place he wrote about sneakers. This chance would ultimately lead him to Ewing Athletics.

“With time, because the individuals right here began seeing what I used to be able to, they gave me a chance,” Guerrero remembers. That chance began small, giving his opinion on new samples. However his earnest ardour for sneakers was evident, and ultimately led to extra duty and the chance to show his artistic imaginative and prescient right into a actuality. Even so, Guerrero is candid about his struggles with imposter syndrome and having to work to beat them.

“It is one thing that is been tough for me as a result of, like I stated, I by no means noticed myself doing what I am doing now. A number of it was not believing that I may do it. Now, I do know what I deliver to the desk,” he says. “I am going tremendous laborious, and I do not take it with no consideration as a result of I do know that this might all finish immediately.”

With that mentality, Guerrero knew that it was vital to nail the collaboration with Yandel, not only for himself, however for the model that believed in him and their clients. The Yandel Rogue marks the most important Ewing collab to date, and it is also the model’s first time partnering with a Latin music star. Subsequently, Guerrero felt further strain to do his due diligence and inform the story as finest as he may. And that meant telling it in Spanish.

“Once you open the field, the comedian that comes with it’s in full Spanish. The little cling tag that comes on the sneaker is in full Spanish. It is one thing that we have by no means executed earlier than. It is us telling our story by the sneaker,” says Guerrero.

And on the finish of the day, the narrative of that story would not belong to anyone individual or group. It is the story of the underdog. It is Patrick Ewing’s story, who put the town on his again and is endlessly liked and honored even with out bringing again a championship. It is Yandel’s story, going from being a barber within the city of Cayey, Puerto Rico to being one of the profitable Puerto Rican artists of all time. And it is Guerrero’s story, each immigrant’s story, actually, of individuals coming to an enormous metropolis stuffed with hazard and promise and discovering a option to make it. However even with a profitable collaboration underneath his belt, Guerrero is aware of that he cannot cease pushing, and that success shouldn’t be one thing you obtain, it is one thing you do each day.

“I simply need to encourage the youth, , people who seem like us,” he says. “You already know, prefer it’s by no means too late. You possibly can’t put an age on success.”

The Ewing x Yandel Rogue will likely be accessible for buy at 10 a.m. ET on January 5, 2024, through ewingathletics.com and yandel.com.