Nike Day Of The Dead Pack 2020
This year Nike created a pack of 4 sneakers inspired by the Mexican Day Of The Dead tradition. Each sneaker was designed based on different elements and iconography from the celebration. I wanted to created a composite for each pair.
THE SHOES
The first pair was the Nike Air Max 90. Its design was inspired by "alebrijes" which are these whimsical and colorful creatures that help guiding the souls of the dead to heaven. The symbol (logo) of the collection represents the Cempasúchil flower (marigold flower). These orange flowers that families place in the graves of their loved ones and create paths of petals from the cemetery to their houses so their ancestors can find their way home.
The second pair of the collection is a Nike Blazer Mid. The shoe is made out of aged tumbled leather which represents the transition from life to death. The swoosh and the side panel have bright colors in yellow and orange but they only show up when the superficial coat of sail color paint wears off. You can wipe it off yourself with a little acetone to make it show. The transition back to color means there is life and happiness after death.
The third one is Nike Daybreak. Its design is based on "papel picado" (pierced paper) which are these decorative small paper banderoles that Mexican people use to decorate their houses and their neighborhoods by hanging them from a string. They are made out of very colorful paper crepe. The upper of the shoe is made mostly out mesh to represent the pierced paper. This is the weakest design of the collection in my opinion but I get why it is there.
The last shoe of the collection is an Air Jordan 1 Mid. The design for this one was based on the "ofrendas" (offerings) which are these altars that families build in both their private homes and the cemetery upon the graves of their loved ones. These altars contain marigold flower arrangements and other decorative elements but they also include pictures of the families dead relatives and plates containing food and other things they enjoy when they were living. This pair as well as the Nike Daybreak have written on the upper the frase: PARA MI FAMILIA which means "For My Family".
The Day Of The Dead is a very rich Mexican tradition filled with things that might appear weird to foreigners but once you realize it is all about celebrating the love families have for their members and that same love continues even after they are not around anymore. Then you understand how beautiful it actually is.
I am not Mexican but I am Latin American. We don't celebrate Day Of The Dead in my country but I get why it is so special for Mexican people. That's why I wanted these photo composites to be a celebration as well. I hope you can appreciate it like me.
Thank you for checking out this project.
I have many others like this one. Feel free to check them out!
