Ting Meister Designs "History of Hmong" Air Jordan 1

Using a sneaker as a storytelling medium, shoe designer Ting Meister commemorates the Hmong-American community — a marginalized group that resettled in the U.S. during the latter half of the 20th century — through his latest project dubbed “History of Hmong.”

The artist created the piece at the indigenous community’s request for the Hmong American Festival taking place in Minneapolis, May 2018. With the classic Air Jordan 1 base, these unique kicks combine intrinsically American symbols and Hmong culture. The sneaker features black velvet, traditional patchwork fabric and a red lamb skin liner. The heel ends are crafted from 144 hand braided beads, making it truly one of a kind.

Take a look at Ting Meister’s work on his Instagram.