Nike Día de Muertos drop is a nod to the family

Sneaker supremo Nike’s latest drop features re-imaginings of the Air Max 90, the DBreak Type, the Blazer Mid and the Air Jordan 1. And they all celebrate Mexico’s Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Día de Muertos is a holiday where families gather to pray for departed friends. Seen as a day of tribute rather than mourning, it features colourfully patterned ofrendas, or alters, as centrepieces to the celebrations. These ofrendas serve as the design inspiration behind each new Nike piece. And as with most fine sneaker collections, leather features heavily.

La Catrina is a female skeleton figure that features strongly throughout the Día de Muertos celebrations. She is also very present on the Air Max 90, which is our pick of the collection. The shapes of the human body are represented throughout the shoe with the lace system taking the place of the ribs. The sole echoes the spine while the mesh and suede upper corresponds to the muscle fibres.

Overall, the collection concentrates on the colours, patterns and imagery used throughout the Día de Muertos. The marigold – the flower of Mexico is a continuing thread through the sneaker collection and the clothes that accompany it.

Another binding theme, aptly for the context of the collection, is family. The DBeak Type heel, the Air Jordan 1 and accompanying tees and hoodies feature the words “Para Mi Familia” – “for my family”.

Read more and shop on the Nike website here.

Photo by Alejandro Barba on Unsplash