Nike has officially unveiled the 2017 "Be True" Collection inspired by the LGBTQ community and celebrating the passion and pursuit of sport by all athletes.
The sixth-annual Be True collection features both apparel and footwear including the NikeLab Air VaporMax, Nike Classic Cortez, Nike Flyknit Racer and Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34.
“The key for us was to create something that people could unite around to show their support for LGBTQ athletes,” says Robert Goman, LBGT Network Leader at Nike. “Sporting your rainbow in the gym or on a run became a way to feel like you belonged to something larger – you were connected to being ‘out’ or being an ally. The rainbow has and always will be incorporated into the BETRUE product in some way.”
The 2017 Be True collection pairs the rainbow with other prominent symbols of Pride, including the color pink and the triangle, with Nike innovations and the "RUN FIERCE" message printed onto the shoes’ sock-liners.
These innovations include a number of “firsts” introduced in the 2017 collection, including the first eight-color, HD rainbow Swoosh design (on the Nike Flyknit Racer) and the first rainbow VaporMax Air unit (on the NikeLab Air VaporMax Flyknit).
The collection also includes the Nike Cortez, one of the company’s first footwear releases, with “BEEN TRUE” written on the sockliner — underscoring Nike’s longstanding commitment to equality and expression. It is also the first time the BETRUE collection will be available in key cities globally.
The NikeLab Air VaporMax BE TRUE will launch early on June 1st at nikelab.com. The full collection will be released on June 5th via nike.com.
Check out each of the kicks in the gallery above as well as some of the apparel pieces below.