This year’s Nike BeTrue and Converse Pride Collection look multidimensionally at LGBTQIA+ representation and interprets those perspectives through timeless silhouettes and color applications. Reflecting the same power of the spectrum in the LGBTQIA+ and allied community, the inspirations behind the designs span time periods and settings. The silhouettes themselves occupy different eras and spaces too, and form a lineup that brings a unified strength in diversity.
For Nike, these expressions include the Nike Air Force 1, the Nike Air Max 2090 and the Nike Air Deschutz. The Air Force 1, in its first BeTrue edition, features a 10-color heel mark inspired by the More Color, More Pride flag introduced in Philadelphia in 2017. To recognize people of color in the LGBTQIA+ community, the colors of the flag were expanded to add the black and brown stripes.
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The power of inclusion through an array of perspectives carries into this year’s Converse Pride collection, which contains a range of Chuck 70 and Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers inspired by the More Color, More Pride flag. The Converse By You customization platform offers design options that reflect this inclusivity and are inspired by bisexual, pansexual, non-binary and transgender flags.
“When we expand our understanding of a concept, in this instance Pride, we provide so much more space for everyone else,” says Amber Hikes, the civil rights activist who concepted the striping in 2017.
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The Converse Pride Collection is embarking on its five-year anniversary celebrating Pride. The brand has donated more than $1,000,000 in support of local and global LGBTQIA+ organizations, with this year’s collection benefiting It Gets Better Project [IGBP], Ali Forney Center, BAGLY and OUT MetroWest.
The Nike BeTrue Collection releases June 5 throughout Greater China and June 19 globally on nike.com and at select retailers. The Converse Pride Collection releases globally May 29 on converse.com.
Source: Nike
