By Jonas Ryan Nitura
James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets wore his signature shoes, the Harden Vol. 5 “Manila Heritage,” also called the adidas Harden Vol. 5 Futurenatural X Quiccs, during Game 3 of the Nets vs Boston Celtics series last May 29, 2021.
The shoes have a colorway of the Philippine flag that Filipino toy designer Quiccs Maiquez designed and was released on Independence Day in the Philippines.
Besides the colorway, the date “06.29.19” near the collar of the kicks was the last time Harden visited the Philippines. On the sole has the number “+63” to represent the Philippines’ country code.
Maiquez is the first Filipino to design a signature shoe for adidas.
Several well-known personalities like “DJ” Bigboy Cheng, Julius Babao, and Michael V. got early access to the unique sneakers.
“Happy Independence Day! Thank you to all of our friends and fans for being part of history today with our "Manila Heritage" Launch Day!” Maiquez said on Facebook.
Other than the shoes which cost P7,000, two adidas t-shirts, with one featuring an animated James Harden printed on it, have also been released, costing P1,500 each.
“Forever grateful to @adidasph for making this collaboration possible, and to all of you who supported this historical launch with us,” Maiquez said.
The designer’s “Summer 2021 Tees” will also be available this June 2021.
