Laced with Identity: Reflecting on the Nike Cortez during Hispanic Heritage Month
Written by Olivia Longoria. Graphic by Abby Chadwick.
What’s in a name? For the Nike Cortez, a lot of irony. What started as a groundbreaking running shoe became one of the most well known symbols in Hip Hop and Chicano culture. Here’s a little backstory.
Celebrated track coach Bill Bowerman and business man Phil Knight designed the first version of the Nike Cortez in the late 60s. At that time, what is now Nike was a startup named Blue Ribbon Sports. The design was based on a prototype from collaborator Onitsuka Tiger. It was the first running shoe that featured extra cushion, which later became an industry standard. In 1972, when the company rebranded as Nike, they manufactured and released what is known today as the Nike Cortez, replacing the Onitsuka logo with the famous swoosh.
Before the rebrand, though, Bowerman and Knight wanted to give the shoe an impactful name that would be remembered. Inspired by the 1968 Olympics that were going to be held in Mexico, they landed on the Aztec. It was perfect, it represented legacy. But, the announcement of the name was met with a quick threat to sue by Adidas who already had a shoe named the Azteca Golds. Frustrated, Bowerman asked Knight the name of the man who “kicked the sh*t out of the Aztecs,” and behold, the Nike Cortez was born. The shoe was named after the atrocities of colonialism, led by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés.
Interestingly, the shoe named after a man who conquered what would be Mexico was adopted and beloved by Chicano streetwear in the 80s, just after the Chicano Movement took place. Here’s some important historical context: the term Chicano had originally been a slur used against low income Mexican Americans. The movement sought to reclaim the word, and push for goals like land ownership, workers rights and educational equality. Between the 60s and 70s, that’s exactly what it did.
The foundation for the Cortez to take off was set. Los Angeles had Nike coursing through its veins, with the first location of Blue Ribbon Sports being in Santa Monica. The affordable price and effective color blocking led to the shoe being easily integrated into streetwear, including gangs, since it helped identify which group someone was a part of. Hip-Hop legends like Eazy-E further popularized the sneaker. Despite being named in the spirit of conquest, Chicanos completely redefined the meaning of wearing a pair of Cortezes and made the shoe their own. A shoe that was born out of competition turned into a symbol of community.
For a community like the Hispanic one, identity can be confusing. A history haunted by colonialism seeps detachment from identity through generations. For example, Mexican Americans often feel a pressure to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans (fans of Houston born singer Selena Quintanilla will recognize that quote, and likely that feeling.) Also, as a result of colonization many Hispanics are not connected to their native ancestry. Factors like these leave many Hispanics feeling uncertain about their identity.
As a result, identity is often found in tangible things that can unite people like fashion, music and tradition.. A pair of shoes, in this case, were subconsciously selected as a lighthouse to help people be seen and feel connected by. But the most special aspect of the cultural phenomenon is perhaps the poetic justice of Chicano people stepping on Cortés everyday. The fact that a marginalized group of people took a symbol named after the intention to defeat and subjugate, serves as a testament to what makes hispanic culture beautiful — resilience.
