NIKE BETRUE - DROP 2

When political activist and designer Gilbert Baker created, hand dyed and hand sewed two flags with eight colored stripes (pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue and violet) little did he imagine it would become the worldwide symbol uniting gay, lesbian and transgender people. His Pride Flag, which debuted in 1978, was immediately praised by the LGBTQIA+ community. For the record, pink was removed because Baker’s flag company couldn’t come up with enough pink fabric so to keep things even, he deleted turquoise. Forty years later, the six-color flag remains the ultimate global symbol of unity among the community. To celebrate Baker’s impact and legacy, Nike partnered with the Gilbert Baker Estate to create the 2019 BETRUE collection. For the first time, the footwear, apparel and accessories all feature the icon’s original eight-color flag, as well as other significant “Gilbert-y” touches and symbols of Pride. BETRUE was launched in 2012 by Nike employees in the PRIDE Network seeking to build a community diverse in orientation, identity and expression to highlight equality in sport. The collection releases each year in June to celebrate National Pride month and supports all individuals regardless of gender identity or who they love.