Nike release the first ever Air Force One specifically designed for Brazil, nicknamed É Possível, aka 'It Is Possible'. Backed by a documentary film that will debut later this year showcasing Brazilian street art and culture, the shoe was designed with the help of local MCs Emicida, Pixote and Xará as well as graff artist Toddy. The crew's manifesto states that 'we, as soldiers in an invisible army, march towards tomorrow as heirs of the ash on the streets and the offspring of a reality that is of interest to few.' Heavy! Representing the indomitable spirit of Brazilian street culture, discover more about this AF1's unique story below.
PRESS RELEASE
Brazil is watching a new cultural revolution. Born on the streets, it gathers together promising athletes and artists who do not take "no" for an answer, who push on and earn the right to do what they love. What do they have in common? A manifesto. What do they want? To show the world that IT IS POSSIBLE to dream. What connects their stories? Passion for sport, for culture, and for a symbol that they have helped create - the Air Force 1 Brasil.
Created in the 1980s, the AF-1 revolutionized the basketball courts in the USA on the feet of sensations such as Moses Malone and Rasheed Wallace, and it played a key role in consolidating the sport's culture in that country. Today, in Brazil, Damiris and Raulzinho, two up and coming Brazilian athletes, embody the spirit and determination of these idols and are helping to leverage and carry on this tradition.
Taking the energy of the courts, MCs Emicida, Pixote and Xará, gifted at bringing together authenticity with Brazilian roots music, and Toddy, an artist who uses city walls as canvasses on which to represent the problems faced by urban communities, have put together a manifesto. The text urges young people to have hope and to not give up when things get rough: "We, as soldiers in an invisible army, march towards tomorrow as heirs of the ash on the streets and the offspring of a reality that is of interest to few."
They celebrate their independence in hip hop and pay tribute to a product that has transcended its purpose, conquered the world, established a style, given rise to a movement that has taken over the streets.
The manifesto stands for a shoe that promises to become an icon of Brazilian urban culture. The first Air Force 1 made for Brazil. Its eyestays, tongue label and laces are green and yellow, and the names of the idols are graved on the black leather structure.
The story described above will soon be available in select movie theaters in Brazil. The short-film É Possível (It is possible) was written by Victor Navas, who also wrote the films Carandiru and Cazuza - O Tempo Não Para. The film mixes documentary and animation, intertwining urban images, anonymous basketball courts, and famous athletes who have been part of the history of the sport which over here in Brazil is yet to make an impact on the street.
Similarly to what happened in that decade in Philadelphia and New York, the Brazilian scene is getting ready for transformation. This September the Air Force 1 Brasil comes out to Brazilian stores only, ready to keep its story going.
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