Diadora and Foot Locker have turned to Puerto Rican lifestyle brand Details Matter to tell a story of the island through the N9002 sneakers. The shoe is closer to its source material than other PR-themed pairs in the past—Nike is known for their Air Force 1 sneaker drops tied to New York’s Puerto Rican parade but those sneakers weren’t actually designed, conceptualized, or even released on the island.
The Details Matter x Diadora N9002 “The Traveler” captures the essence of Puerto Rico with a tan outline on the Diadora logo representing the sand from the beaches. The nubuck material references the mountainous terrain and regions like El Yunque, the island’s rainforest. The shoe’s various tones of grey decorating the shoe are a nod to the historic cobblestone streets in Old San Juan. On the insole are map coordinates of Puerto Rico for “The Traveler” to find their destination.
“This is about where I grew up,” explains Details Matter co-founder Redd Carreras, “about my heritage, my culture, and making sure that just like anything whether it be a Puerto Rican athlete or musician to make sure that we let people know where we’re from and the type of work we are doing here.”
To him, the Diadora sneaker is a project through which he can represent his culture to the world.
“Puerto Rico is only 100 by 35 miles in size which is only a speck on the map,” Carreras says. “So we’re able to do something that is going to be globally recognized, and make sure that we represent our people and culture correctly.”
Asked why he chose the N9002 model, Redd says that he wanted to design a sneaker that could be an everyday wear.
The Details Matter x Diadora N9002 collaboration is available now exclusively through Foot Locker online and select physical stores throughout the US, including three locations in Puerto Rico.
