The Air Jordan 5 ‘El Grito’ Is a Supremely Clean Tribute to Mexican Independence Day

When Nike and Jordan Brand opened their sprawling Mexico City flagship in July, they pulled out all the stops. At a party bustling with the best and brightest of the city’s vibrant creative scene, Olympians preparing to jet off to Paris just a week or two later, and the heart and soul of the local streetwear scene, the brand celebrated staking its claim in the most populous city in North America. DJs blasted Peso Pluma while small bites were passed around and plenty of drinks were consumed. Amidst all of the hustle and bustle, a question kept making its way into nearly every conversation: Yo, did you see that guy’s shoes?

“That guy” was Ricardo Morales, the owner of popular sneaker boutique Two Feet Undr, and on his feet was a pair of unreleased Air Jordans that would become one of the most hotly anticipated sneakers of the year. It was an appropriate public debut for the unique colorway, which pays homage to Mexico and specifically invokes the rallying cry delivered on September 16th, 1810, the day the country began its war for independence from Spain.

The shoe’s name, ‘El Grito,’ references the Cry of Dolores–more commonly known as El Grito de Independencia, the Cry for Independence. The speech, originally delivered by Father Miguel Hidalgo, served as the call to arms that sparked the people of Mexico to strike back against the colonial rule under which they lived. While an exact transcript of the speech remains a point of contention by academics, a variation of it is delivered every year on the eve of Independence Day, ringing in the celebration of Mexican liberation. El Grito has taken on a legendary stature in the country, the sort of national mythology Americans may recognize in the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride. The exact words don’t matter nearly as much as the fact that they were said to begin with.

It’s a serious thing to invoke through a pair of sneakers, but Morales was quick to point out that the shoes aren’t a stiff history lesson. When he posted the kicks on his Instagram a few days prior to the party, he noted in the comments that the shoe, “speaks about the pride of Mexican diversity through mysticism, culture, and traditions.” There’s a keen attention to detail in the shoe’s design, with it having been loaded with cultural markers and references to Mexico City.