After Filipino toy designer Quiccs, another Filipino talent just showcased his world class artistry via a collab with global sportswear brand adidas. He is graffiti and mural artist Greg Guleserian, better known as Egg Fiasco.
In an Instagram post, Egg shares that his design of the adidas UltraBoost DNA City Pack was inspired by his childhood memories in the Philippines. Nope, his memories are not about playing teks or piko, or swimming in the river sa probinsya—the thirtysomethung Egg is referring in particular to his love for video games, a major obsession among kids of his generation.
“[We noticed na] yung vibrancy ng games na nilalaro namin is the same vibrancy ng mga tao sa Philippines and our culture... Marami tayong pakulo eh,” he shared at the shoe’s launch.
Brainstorming with fellow Filipino artists, the Iloilo native realized playing video games has been one their favorite topics of discussion, so it was just natural that it provided the inspiration for his shoe.
If you look at Egg’s UltraBoost DNA City Pack, the sock liner mimics the design language of video games. Meanwhile, the virtual ‘potions’ and ‘elixirs’ typically used in games are represented in the pops of orange and gold against the shoe’s olive heel and navy upper. The artist’s fans will note that these colors, which are characteristic of the 90s video games aesthetic, are also close to Egg’s own palette for his graffiti work.
The shoe is possessed of the same energy and fearlessness the artist’s murals are known for. Hence, it’s one of the most exciting sneaker designs we’ve seen of late. It’s fun but it’s also grownup and sophisticated. Egg is thrilled to have been picked by adidas, along with six other creatives in the Southeast Asian Region. “I think, adidas saw the potential. [That graffiti], it’s not just the writing on the wall. The wall speaks,” says Egg. “adidas saw the potential of the message, and the energy behind those artists.”
A pair of Egg’s UltraBoost DNA City Pack shoes is priced at P10,000 and is already available in adidas' stores, at adidas.com.ph, and the adidas app.