Where to buy Nike Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico? Release date, price, and more details explored

After the successful launch of Nike Air Force 1 Low x TedxPortland sneakers, the swoosh label has revamped the silhouette again with a scheduled release of a new makeover, called Puerto Rico. According to the sneaker leaker page, Sneakernews, the shoes are slated to be released on June 4, 2022, at the label's official e-commerce site, SNKRS for a retail price of $120.

The latest makeover is being released to commemorate this year's National Puerto Rican Day Parade, which falls on June 12, 2022.The Puerto Rican makeover marks the third attempt by the label after the infamous controversies surrounding their 2019 and 2020 makeovers.

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All you need to know about the Nike Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico sneakers

Upcoming Nike Air Force 1 Low Puerto Rico sneakers (Image via Sportskeeda)

The American footwear giant is known for showing love to various parts of the world through their special homage in the form of footwear makeovers. One particular makeover for the Caribbean islands which has often gained some attention, is that of Puerto Rico.

In the past, the swoosh label has given a special homage to the U.S. Territory to celebrate the annual Puerto Rican Day over their silhouettes Air Max 97, Nike Air Force 1 Low CMFTs, and Air Trainers 1.

The label has, however, not been very successful in these releases due to the controversies surrounding them, and the new colorway release for the Puerto Rican Day, 2022 is their way of making amends to the people of Puerto Rico.

The iteration draws inspiration from Dominoes - which is a common game played throughout the U.S. Territory as a pastime. The shoes are dressed in a sky-colored, lighter-shade of blue, red, and white.

The uppers are constructed out of a white leather base with sky-blue overlays, which can be seen accentuated over the heel tabs, tread, and swooshes that are constructed out of suede materials, while the overlays are smoothened out.

The sneakers have also selected parts of the Puerto Rican flag color palette applied it in accenting forms over the shoe. The bold hits of red can also be discovered over the traditional Nike logo, accentuating the tongue.

The previously mentioned heel tabs feature the branding with "Nike Air" lettering on the one side and "Puerto Rican" lettering on the other. Further branding can be seen over the lace dubrae on the left foot of the pair, which features the "Puerto Rican" lettering. The right-foot lace dubrae, in contrast, features a dominoes-esque aesthetic.

The Dominoes game is further honored in the textures of the uppers, which has intricately arranged perforations over the toe boxes, quarter panels, tongues, and mid-panels.

More details are added with graphic covered insoles that pay homage to the Puerto Rico Caribbean island, with the letterings of "Nueva York," "Viejo San Juan," "Familia," and more.

The sneakers come in a special box that is custom-made with the "Familia" branding and a further nod to the game is given by the way the paper is stashed in the box.

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What were the controversies for Nike's previous Puerto Rico makeovers?

If you don't remember what happened with the 2019 and 2020 versions of Nike's Puerto Rico sneakers, here is a quick overview to bring you up to speed:

In 2019, the label's Air Force 1 low shoes were cancelled after an indigenous group from South America and sneaker affectionado DJ Clark Kent, revealed that the sneakers were adorned in a pattern that is called mola.

The mola pattern comes from the traditions of the Guna people who reside in Colombia and Panama and have no connection with Puerto Rico. The label apologised for the mishap and took back the shoes, while cancelling subsequent releases.

The next year, the swoosh label again tried to release an Air Force 1 iteration, but again the shoe was defamed due to a mistake on the label. The sneakers featured the Puetro Rican flag on the tongues, where unfortunately, the flag was printed on backwards.