SneakersBR, the first media focused on sneaker culture in the Brazilian territory and the world’s first to address it in Portuguese, SneakersBR celebrates two years of existence with a praising by Nike through a particularly singular version of the Air Max 1.
Signed by designer Fabrício Machado, the Air Max 1 – LANCEIRO refers to iconic elements of Pernambuco’s culture (home state of SneakersBR), with an emphatic proposition of gathering tradition and modernity, one of the pillars of the Manguebeat movement.
The Air Max 1 LANCEIRO is based on the first Nike model to expose the capsule of the revolutionary “Air” cushioning system and its colors, materials and graphics were defined upon the figure of the spearmen known as “Caboclo da Lança” – emblematic element of the rural maracatu of Zona da Mata, in the Pernambucan interior, and one of Manguebeat Movement references as it is a perfect synthesis of gathering the traditional and the modern.
A true cultural revolution that dazzled the world at the beginning of the 90s, the Manguebeat Movement revealed references such as Chico Science and Nação Zumbi, Fred 04 and Mundo Livre SA, Otto, Siba, among many others artists and bands that gathered the most conservative elements of the popular culture of Pernambuco with the most modern happenings of the music and arts world.
The thrilling and surprising results conquered audiences throughout the world, with its unusual combination of drums, fiddle, alfaias (maracatu drums), awesome groove, politicized lyrics and distorted guitars.
The spearman or “Caboclo de Lança” – farmers that groom the whole year to shine during the days of carnival – wear a luxurious cape layered with shiny beads, hand embroidered, which appears in colorful and reflective dots in the upper as well as in the sneaker’s sockliner prints; and also its striking silhouette: metallized wig, sunglasses and a clove in the mouth, is embossed with holographic effect in the tongue of the Air Max 1.
Maintaining the convention of running shoes, the breathable mesh ensures lightness to the model, and is responsible, along with the suede, for its traditional sheen – a homage to the first versions of the Air Max 1 launched in 1987.
The blue leather combined with white recalls the flag of Pernambuco, the yellow air capsule symbolizes the sun, and the speckled midsole reminds the mud and mangroves of the swamps, vital icons of the state’s culture that “baptized” the Manguebeat movement.
In the transparent outsole, more recaps of mud and a colorful crab in beads.
The heel tab features the emblematic phrase of Chico Science “Um Passo à Frente e Você Já Não Está Mais No Mesmo Lugar” (One step ahead and you’re no longer in the same place) with reflective effect – which also echoes Nike Sportswear’s spirit, of remixing and reconstructing the brand’s greatest sports icons, updating to the 21st century while still keeping a link with the past.
The Air Max 1 Lanceiro in quickstrike edition will reach selected worldwide stores very soon. An even more distinctive edition, in a wooden package accompanied by other astounding items, will be distributed only among influencers from around the globe in june, same time of “brazil only edition” release.
