This week, aggregate Instagram account FlyknitDaily posted what looks like a first look at one of this year's offerings from Nike's annual BeTrue collection, which releases in June for Pride Month. The shoes features a graphic black-and-white design on one of our perennial favorite silhouettes, the Flyknit Racer, but the swoosh has been done up in rainbow shading. Through the loosely knit sides a pink sockliner is visible, a reference out to the pink triangles that the Nazis forced gay victims to wear on their camp uniforms during the Holocaust.
We have exclusive confirmation from a source at Nike that this sneaker is, in fact, a part of this year's upcoming BeTrue collection. Like every year, we should expect to see an entire collection in June, with previous years including at least three pairs of shoes, plus apparel. We're also told that despite how popular this take on the Flyknit Racer is likely to be, the stuff that hasn't yet been revealed is even better.
Get hyped.
A couple weeks ago we went looked in depth at what representation in sneakers can mean for some LGBT community members, specifically examining this year's All-Star Air Jordans. But Nike's annual BeTrue collection is a far more overt presentation of pride. It's for that reason that you'll find a lot of sneakerheads avoid the goods for fear of being wrapped up in the story of gay America, even as an ally.
All you have to do is check the comments on FlyknitDaily's post—"Damn, can't do those for the sake of that flag.... nice shoe tho"—to see how fragile our current hetronormativity is, and how dangerous an alternate expression can seem to those who don't recognise it. But that's all part of the movement we're making as a culture, however slowly, towards something better.
It's important to note that Nike isn't alone in this lovely boat. One of its sister companies, Converse, just got into the game last year with some Chucks, and Adidas has been releasing Pride Packs for the last couple Junes. We know that Puma is working on a project for this year, and we also know that some big names conspicuously absent from this list have declined to comment on whether they support the LGBT community or will engage with projects to show their support.
If we get more news, we'll be sure to let you know.
