BEHIND THE DESIGN

Mister Cartoon is synonymous with Los Angeles, and Los Angeles has been considered the home of Cortez since day one. To celebrate the ever-popular icon, Nike has once again partnered with the LA legend and world-renowned artist to release three new iterations of the classic Cortez. Each colorway features distinct elements hand drawn by Mister Cartoon and a tricolor midsole made up of white, black and classic gum rubber hues.

"These shoes, you're able to go anywhere [in them]. They represent what I grew up with in the streets of L.A.," says Mister Cartoon. "I see the new kids embracing the Cortez because of the simplicity and because of the classic history to it."

Each colorway of the Cortez by Mister Cartoon comes complete with custom accents and accessories, such as special 'CTOON$' lace duebres, 'LA' branding and embroidered 'Smile Now, Cry Later' masks. The all-white edition sports hand-drawn 'CORTEZ' branding, while the black version in the set features a redesigned 'LA' graphic on the shoe's lateral side, as well as bold heel graphics.

The navy blue silhouette features the iconic Swoosh, as well as a quilt stitch pattern inspired by the stitching found in car interiors. "I think a lot of people's favorite is the navy blue denim Cortez," explains Mister Cartoon. "The reason we did the diamond pattern is to represent the interiors in our low riders." On the back of the shoe, Mister Cartoon has designed a classic LA logo in his signature script lettering. A custom woven label on the tongue also honors the 45th anniversary of the Cortez.

"I love that that the Cortez is coming back and that I'm able to get these materials and upgrade the shoe," he reveals. Ultimately, each of the three limited edition pairs highlights the diverse culture of LA, while also honoring Mister Cartoon's continual celebration of the culture and heritage of the city he represents.

All three colorways in the Cortez by Mister Cartoon collection will launch on 7.14 at 10am ET.