Everything You Need to Know About the "New York Is For Lovers" RISE x Fila Cage

Photos by Shuang L De Jesus

"When I was a kid, we grew up with no money. Folks did the best they could. So while we were playing basketball outdoors, the Fila Cage was the model," Chase said. "That was the most affordable price spot for kids to get into, it was available in all kinds of colorways, and I had so many wonderful memories while I was wearing that shoe out on the court. It was an easy choice."

While most design collaborations start with an inspiration, the Fila x NYIFL was one that was close to the RISE owner—who lost his father to AIDS. After all the pairs have sold through, a portion of the profits of the shoe will be distributed to New York-based charities that raise HIV awareness. "There’s a number of local NYC actual foundations that help this cause," Chase said. "It’s a global pandemic, everyone acknowledges it as such, but you got tot tackle the problem here at home before we do it abroad."

But things just didn't work out in time. "Unfortunately in terms of manufacturing, as well as my own persistence in getting the shoe just right, we had some delays in the manufacturing," Chase said. "It was important to get it perfect and we really made every detail count. That's what led to some of the delays. Unfortunately, we weren't able to hit the walk, which would have been ideal, but everything happens for a reason, the product came out excellent, in the end it was worth the wait."

Chase had the thought of doing a sneaker to benefit AIDS victims before he opened his boutique RISE a year ago. "I had put together this package, showed it to some brands, not going to name any names, but they pretty much turned me down," he said. "I don't know if it was me not having the store up yet, not having the reputation that some of the folks had already, or if it was the charitable aspect. I brought the idea to Fila and they thought it was a great idea. We went through a couple tweaks and changes to get to where it is today, but they were on board immediately and I’m super appreciative for that."

"It is a premium product using premium materials like genuine pig suede and outstanding black leather— both perforated and tumbled," Chase said, adding that packaging is also different. "Everything from the shoe itself, the tissue paper, the box, the hangtag, it’s a really premium product, and I think it’s something new for folks that are already fans of FILA."

The sneakers, along with corresponding apparel, will drop online at RISE45.com at 7 p.m. tonight. A few other boutiques, that were handpicked by RISE, will also get a small size run later on. "We're branching out to just a couple retailers that we value, appreciate, and we have a connection with. That'll follow afterward. But I'm not going to say any names just yet," he said.