‘Kultura’: Limited edition sneakers celebrates Filipino culture

Sneakerheads, feast your eyes on this.

Global sportswear brand Asics, and lifestyle concept store Commonwealth from Washington DC and Virginia released a limited edition sneaker inspired by the Filipino culture, particularly by the batok art found on the arms and chest of the Kalinga people.

“Kultura” (Filipino word for “culture”) Gel-Lyte V will be available starting today, April 7 at POV by Commonwealth at SM Aura in Taguig for PHP7,900.

“When you think of products from the Philippines, it’s all very cliché. You think of the jeepney, you think about the colors of the flag. We wanted to move away from that and dig deep into something indigenous but still around and still preserved… a story worth telling,” said Commonwealth co-founder Mike Concepcion.

In the microscopic sense, the shoe is about the Kalinga tribe, an ethnic group in the Philippines who inhabit the mountains of Luzon. But it’s also about the Filipino people and culture in general, hence the name.

Apo Whang-Od was a huge inspiration in designing the sneaker. That’s her hand in one of the photos on display in the store/gallery.

“We wanted to be respectful to her and sentitive to her whole tribe,” added Concepcion.

The shoe features nubuck, premium suede, and breathable mesh. It’s a Gel-lyte V model, which was first released in 1993 as a marathon shoe.

The worldwide release in selected Asian and European territories will be on April 14.



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