Yandel Reimagines the Ewing Athletics Rogue Using His Puerto Rican Heritage

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Ewing Athletics has delivered countless collaborations with hip-hop icons. However, at the start of 2024, the namesake brand of NBA legend Patrick Ewing will release a look in partnership with Puerto Rican singer and songwriter Yandel.

More from Footwear News

• How Ewing Athletics Has Become the Favorite Brand of Fans of Hip-Hop's Golden Era

• Ewing Athletics Celebrates Ghostface Killah's Iconic 'Ironman' Album With a New-Look 33 Hi

“It is a milestone for the brand to partner with a Latin music star,” Ewing, who serves as president of Ewing Athletics, told FN. “It also shows the brand is growing and expanding in new directions as we continue moving forward. There has always been strong support for the brand in Latin America dating back to the original iteration of the brand in the early ’90s, so it’s only right to do this.”

Arriving in January is the limited-edition Yandel x Ewing Athletics Rogue, a look replete with nods to the artist’s heritage. For instance, this is the first time a Ewing Athletics sneaker includes a Spanish-language booklet, and the tissue paper inside the box features the Puerto Rican flag. Also, the collab comes packaged in a Ewing Athletics x Yandel branded box featuring an English and Spanish comic on the inside that narrates the story of the shoe.

“The comic is based on a nickname we gave ourselves years ago and is the name of one of the studio albums that ended up winning Latin Billboard and Grammy awards the year it was released,” Yandel explained to FN. “The album changed my life. The [Ewing Athletics] designer Jonas [Guerrero] came to me with the idea and I absolutely loved it. It adds a fun element to telling the story of the collaboration. For the shoe to have the Puerto Rican tissue paper and to have the Spanish comic and booklet means a lot to me because this is my heritage. I’m a proud latino and proud Puerto Rican, it makes this collaboration that much more authentic.”

As for the shoe’s look, it features gray and white nubuck and leather on the uppers with scuba blue accents. The white part of the Rogue — a shoe that turns 30 in 2024 — is reflective and the scuba blue outsole glows in the dark.

“This collaboration is special because it’s for everybody, no matter where you’re from or what language you speak you’ll be able to see the comic and see the shoes and understand the story,” said Yandel. “The sneakers really stand out because they are reflective and glow in the dark, it’s a really cool shoe.”

He continued, “I just want to continue to open doors for my people, the reggaeton genre has exploded over the last five years and It feels good to know that I’m one of the pioneers who’s helped get the genre to where it’s at. I just want to continue doing music and to help the next generation of artists coming up. So let’s see what the future holds with Ewing.”

The Yandel x Ewing Athletics Rogue arrives Jan. 5, 2024 at 10 a.m. ET via Ewingathletics.com and Yandel.com.

Looking ahead, the hall-of-fame athlete said Ewing Athletics will release plenty of heat in 2024, including many collaborations and stories to tell, as well as classic OG projects.

Best of Footwear News

• Everything to Know About Mark Wahlberg's Municipal Sneaker Debut: Origin

• Shoe Styles That Will Take You Back to the ’70s

• The History Behind Ugg's Mini Boots: From Surf Culture to 2000s Nostalgia

Sign up for FN's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.