Ewing x Yandel Rogue Releases January 2024

Uptowns. Jordans. Foams. Classics. Maxes. Gazelles. Stan Smiths. In right now’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 residing 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 ignored. Of their newest collaboration with reggaetón superstar 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 changing into the artwork type that they’re right now: Latines.

“As a Latino, I’ve at all times been large on [shining] gentle on our group. I wish to inform Latin tales,” the 37-year-old designer tells POPSUGAR.

Telling Latine tales via sneakers is a sentiment that Guerrero admits, that even to him, at occasions sounds ironic. In any case, sneaker tradition has its roots in hip-hop, an art form that has included contributions from Latines since its inception. However, akin to the best way genres like rap and reggaetón have grow to be extra industrial through the years, Guerrero has noticed the same transformation within the sneaker sport.

“Earlier than it was extra about individuality, standing out, you already know, having a voice. Now, it is all financial,” he provides. “You’ll be able to 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 about 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 longer term,” he says. And at a time when Latine artists like Bad Bunny have become some of the biggest stars in the world, a collaboration with an icon like Yandel, who not solely stays related however helped reggaetón attain international heights, is a becoming technique to acknowledge the place Latines are going whereas honoring the numerous contributions our tradition has made to avenue type over a long time. The Puerto Rican artist has been having fairly a profitable yr. Yandel turned a two-time nominee on the 2023 Latin Grammys, recently signed a deal with Warner Music Latin, and in addition made history at the Empire State Building in New York by changing into the primary Latin act to carry out on the venue throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.

“A giant portion of [the Ewing Athletics] client base is Latino. And whereas we have accomplished all these rap collabs, I wished 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 latest press launch.

However for Guerrero, who’s Puerto Rican and Dominican, this mission is greater than only a collaboration with an artist he grew up idolizing. It is the fruits 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 received older, his creations turned extra advanced with bandana print and or knock-off Gucci print.

“I used to be making an attempt to make it my very own,” he says.”I’ve at all times been into sneakers and individuality. I’ve at all times been distinctive and wished issues a sure means.” However regardless of this early penchant for customizing kicks, Guerrero by no means thought that he’d be able to design his personal.

“My objective was by no means to be a designer. I at all times thought, ‘I am a poor Dominican child from the Bronx, I am unable to be a designer,'” Guerrero admits. Not solely did he not have the fitting school diploma for it, however he additionally by no means noticed individuals like himself in these positions. Luckily, he was capable of beat the chances and leverage his ardour for kicks into an internship at Advanced Journal, the place he wrote about sneakers. This chance would finally 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 possibility,” Guerrero remembers. That chance began small, giving his opinion on new samples. However his earnest ardour for sneakers was evident, and finally 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 mentioned, I by no means noticed myself doing what I am doing now. Loads of it was not believing that I may do it. Now, I do know what I carry to the desk,” he says. “I am going tremendous onerous, and I do not take it as a right as a result of I do know that this might all finish instantly.”

With that mentality, Guerrero knew that it was essential 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 up to now, and it is also the model’s first time partnering with a Latin music star. Due to this fact, Guerrero felt further stress to do his due diligence and inform the story as finest as he may. And that meant telling it in Spanish.

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

And on the finish of the day, the narrative of that story does not belong to anybody particular person or group. It is the story of the underdog. It is Patrick Ewing’s story, who put the town on his again and is perpetually cherished 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 vital 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 technique to make it. However even with a profitable collaboration beneath his belt, Guerrero is aware of that he cannot cease pushing, and that success isn’t one thing you obtain, it is one thing you do day-after-day.

“I simply wish to encourage the youth, you already know, those that appear like us,” he says. “You recognize, prefer it’s by no means too late. You’ll be able to’t put an age on success.”

The Ewing x Yandel Rogue shall be obtainable for buy at 10 a.m. ET on January 5, 2024, by way of ewingathletics.com and yandel.com.