Nike On Air Winner Gabrielle Serrano Discusses “La Mezcla”

Sneaker News: How has street photography impacted your design?
Gabrielle Serrano: It’s a big inspiration. Walking around New York and being able to capture the people of the city – it’s the biggest part of my shoe and shows the diversity through different skin complexions. Photography comes through a lot in my design.
SN: Why the Air Max 98?
GS: Last year was the year of the 98, but more importantly it worked with the different skin complexions that I wanted to put in the design. Air Max 97s are one of my favorites, but going up and down didn’t make sense for this design.
SN: Your family coming to New York is one of the most important things in your life. How did they influence this design of this shoe?
GS: My family played a big part in the process. Coming to the United States and me being a first generation, I wanted to highlight that and showcase it. My family’s history in New York is also very diverse – we have lived in all different parts of it. I was born in Forest Hills, we lived in Jamaica, and then Brooklyn and I have family in Long Island as well.

SN: For someone who is not from here, what are the ways in which this Air Max 98 represents New York?
GS: The mudguard represents the concrete jungle so I think that’s probably the most New York part. But I feel like all of it represents the city, the swooshes, the laces, a lot of the hits are the color of the Statue Of Liberty.
SN: How have other New Yorkers responded to your design?
GS: I’ve gotten all positive feedback so far. Everyone seems to really enjoy it and they say it showcases the city. Also being a Latina female, people have responded well to that aspect as well.
SN: New York is really important when it comes to shoes. Do you think you made the city proud?
GS: Yes, the shoe was my design, but I wanted it to be about everyone in NYC. I have a ton of friends in sneaker culture, so I wanted it to represent and be about all of us. Everyone seems to be really liking it, and I’m excited to see people wearing it.
SN: Can you describe what it was like to see a Nike sneaker that you personally designed in hand?
GS: It is amazing. I don’t think it hit me when I had it in my hand, that it was like what I drew on paper onto a real shoe. Even now, I am wearing the sneaker and I still cant believe that it’s real.
SN: When you did the On Air competition last year and you were sketching everything out, did you think it would get to this point?
GS: No. The first application was through the SNKRS app and you were supposed to explain your different ideas. Friends were telling me their ideas of subways and graffiti, and I thought I was never going to get it because those were such good ideas. We had an elevator pitch we had to do and I was so nervous. I was telling them to just read off the board because I didn’t know what to do! I definitely didn’t think I was going to be where I am now.