LA Streetwear Brand Paisaboys Will Take on the Air Force 1 and Cortez Sneakers for Its First Nike Collab
The label is deeply rooted in Latino culture, much like the Cortez.
Los Angeles-based streetwear brand Paisaboys has announced its first Nike collaboration, and it’ll involve the quintessential sneaker of Mexican-American Angelenos.
Following a more vague teaser last week, Paisaboys revealed Monday that it’ll take on both the Air Force 1 Low and Cortez, the latter of which has been a staple of Chicano culture since the ’80s. Both sneakers are rendered in black and white with their leather uppers playing host to a detailed mosaic-style embroidery pattern.
“Paisa” is short for “paisano,” which directly translates to “countryman” in English, has a number of meanings. It’s often been used as a pejorative for immigrants who aren’t received to have assimilated to the U.S. or who dress in a particular gaudy style. Paisaboys founders Joey Barba and Javier Bandera have run with the term since launching the brand in 2016 and exploring a range of topics, including strife between Mexican and Salvadorans and the way wealthier Americans treat immigrant laborers.
In addition to its storytelling speaking to those with one foot in American and another in Mexico, Paisaboys is known for its for its patterns including barbed wire, tile motifs and more.
As part of the lead-up to the collaboration, Paisaboy also involved in Nike’s Los Angeles activations for the launch of its Air Max Dn model on Air Max Day. For now, images of the collaborative sneakeers relatively scant and release information even more so, but more details should be announced in the near future.
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.