Harden Vol. 5 ‘Manila Heritage’ made for the world
“MADE in Manila, made for the world.” This is how adidas describes the latest colorway of the fifth iteration of its popular James Harden basketball shoe line, done in collaboration with renowned Filipino toy designer and visual artist Juanito “Quiccs” Maiquez.
It is part of the continued partnership between the global sportswear brand and Quiccs which started last year.
“This is big for local independent artists like me for a brand like adidas to reach out and give us an opportunity to show what we can do,” said Mr. Quiccs during the media launch of the Manila Heritage shoe on Thursday.
“I like the Harden Vol. 5 shoe, and I like James Harden, so I really put in the time and work to bring justice to the design of the Manila Heritage colorway,” he said.
The Harden Vol. 5 Manila Heritage boasts of a color palette inspired by the Philippine flag — yellow, which symbolizes hope for a brighter tomorrow; red, for blood and valor; and blue, for freedom and imagination.
The flag’s Three Stars — representing the three island groups Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao — also make an appearance in the design as three yellow dots on the shoe’s heel tab.
The Philippine country code “+63” can also be found on the shoe’s upper.
Brooklyn Nets superstar Harden also gets a shoutout in the shoe, with the date “06.26.19,” marking the player’s last Manila visit, seen on the shoe’s collar.
Mr. Quiccs is also well represented with the “QUICCS” and crossbones logo on the shoe’s heel counter and his signature character TEQ63 and Quiccs-ified Harden character on the sole.
As a nod to the world-class quality of the Manila Heritage shoe, Mr. Harden wore the shoe in Game Three of his team’s first-round National Basketball Association playoff game against the Boston Celtics.
“‘Proud’ is an understatement for how we at adidas Philippines feel about this launch. Basketball is such a big part of our culture and identity, so we’re beyond thrilled to get this opportunity to work with Quiccs in creating for and sharing with our kababayans (countrymen) something that’s uniquely Filipino,” said adidas Philippines Brand Activation Manager Jen Dacasin.
The Harden Vol. 5 Manila Heritage was officially released on June 12, Philippine Independence Day. It is available in adidas stores, adidas.com.ph, and through the adidas app for P7,000. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
