Nike will be releasing a special two-shoe collection dedicated to San Francisco’s well-known Chinatown next week, according to Footwear News.
“Gold Mountain” is a Dunk High that “honors the people, values and culture that helped build one of the largest Chinese communities outside of Asia—and those who continue to make it thrive.”
The shoe’s colors (gray and white with a blue outsole and a green sock liner) paired with its earthy texture are an homage to California’s landscape. “Gold Mountain” also features a graphic on the heel of a golden mountain emerging from wispy white clouds, representing “hope.”
The tongue and insole bear golden lotus flowers and the characters for 旧金山, the Chinese name for San Francisco that translates to “Old Gold Mountain.” These motifs are meant as “a blessing of good fortune for every step.”
“Lotus Flower” is an Air Force 1 ‘07 that “celebrates the strength” of the “enduring community” of San Francisco’s Chinatown.
The bright pink gradients seen throughout the shoe, including on the heel and the Nike Swoosh, alongside the debossed lotus graphic honor “a flower known to flourish in even the harshest conditions.” Other colors such as gold and the blue on the outsole represent the hope that Chinese immigrants carried with them as they arrived in California during the Gold Rush of the late 1800s.
The tongue and insole of “Lotus Flower” also feature the same golden lotus flowers and characters for 旧金山, which are also meant as “a symbolic reminder of the grit that can overcome adversity.”
“Gold Mountain” and “Lotus Flower” are slated to drop next Tuesday, May 9, at 7 a.m. PST. “Gold Mountain” retails at $135, and “Lotus Flower” retails at $150.
AsAmNews is published by the non-profit, Asian American Media Inc. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to support our efforts to produce diverse content about the AAPI communities. We are supported in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library in partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs as part of the Stop the Hate program. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to CA vs Hate.
