Nike's Classic Kicks Just Got A Colorful Update

If you thought the original Nike Cortez was good, the latest iteration is sure to impress. On the heels of the success of its perforated white leather version modeled by Bella Hadid, Nike is releasing a new range of Nike Cortez Classics with the inspiring women behind International Girl Crew.

Comprised of powerful ladies including WAH Nails founder Sharmadean Reid, model and muse Paloma Elsesser, filmmaker Grace Ladoja, stylist Camille Garmendia, and writer Phoebe Lovatt, the International Girl Crew is an inspiring group that shares a passion for travel, culture, and female empowerment. Having met through mutual friends, the women may not all live in the same zip code — or even country — but always find time to come together, whether it's via a video call or in real life on a holiday in Jamaica. As a symbol of their bond, they wear matching necklaces strung with gold numbers. Now, Nike has invited them to design a collection of Cortez sneakers so we can all be a part of their squad.

Inspired by the classic Cortez design, the friends have created a shoe available in three different colors: a neutral “Los Angeles” style, a bright “London” style, and a clean “New York” style, each with pops of color on the midsoles, graphics on the foot beds, and numbers on the heel.

Reid took to Instagram to share her enthusiasm about working with her best friends on the project, writing: "So 4 or 5 years ago I started a hashtag #internationalgirlcrew after being introduced to @camillegarmendia by #aaronbondaroff who spent the summer hanging with me and @graceladoja in London. Then we met @mpnails and @palomija then London babe @phoebelovatt moved to LA and then NYC... and we were all christened with the NUMBER NECKLACE as members of the IGC! Throughout all this time there have been many group holidays, FACETIMES, meeting up at weird cities around the world where we happen to all be working etc etc. I could say more mushy sentimental stuff but it's not really necessary, I love these women so much, they've saved me! I don't have many friends and I met @graceladoja when we were 18/19 and we bonded over a pair of rare Oki-Ni pink Adidas sneakers I was wearing. We were girls, a decade ago, in a very male dominated sneaker and skate world and we just became BFFs. Making this shoe is an honor, to work with my best friends, with one of my favorite brands, which has taught me so much about running an innovative company and also representing the city I call my home. 3 shoes, 7 color ways, inspired by LA, NYC, and LDN."