Nike cancels Puerto Rico Air Force 1s release due to controversy on shoe print

Nike had to cancel the release of Puerto Rico Air Force 1s due to the controversy over the Mola print on the shoes. Read more to know why.

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Nike recently cancelled their shoes 'Puerto Rico' Air Force 1s from releasing. Sources also revealed to a portal that the images of the original product were leaked online and that the real problem was with Puerto Rico flag on the tongue, as well as the Mola print. The shoes were supposed to launch in stores on Puerto Rican Day Parade on June 14 but won't anymore.

Nike officials recently confirmed that  'Puerto Rico' Air Force 1s won't be released anymore. The officials said that Nike will be removing the shoe from the marketplace and the original intent was to re-release the Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico from 2000 but the final product does not accurately reflect the original design. Reportedly, the image of the shoes were leaked online as well and that there was some problem with the Puerto Rican Flag. 

Nike was asked to remove a Mola print on the shoe 

The Puerto Rican Day Parade happens annually in New York to celebrate the 3.2 million inhabitants of Puerto Rico origin living in the country. Nike also has a tradition of releasing new Puerto Rico-themed Air Force 1 every time this year. Reportedly, Nike also faced backlash for using Mola print on the shoe which is a traditional art form that comes from Panama and not Puerto Rican. There was also a petition signed by the people of America asking Nike to remove the print as it was  "an insult to The Panamanian culture and history."

The Nike Air Force 1s are very famous shoes and are a collectable item as well. Many well-known stars like  Nelly, A$AP Rocky, and Jay-Z have been known to wear the shoes. They are also loved by people who want to flaunt their Puerto Rican heritage. One thing that is common in the shoes is that they always have some Puerto Rican elements in them. Some collectors pay a lot of money to get their hands on some vintage Nike Air shoes. The first shoes were released in 1987 and have a very unique feature. They also gave birth to Air Max hunting, where people would often steal the shoes if they saw someone wearing them. Nike has also had a lot of problems with fakes of the shoes circulating in the market.   

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Promo Pic Credit: Nike official website 

Published By : Tulip Roy

Published On: 11 June 2020 at 16:50 IST