The shoe in white with a blue Swoosh was worn by the Cripps and the shoe in black with a white Swoosh was worn by the Bloods. Because of the many incidents surrounding the sneakers, they were even banned from schools in the early 1990s. This was because the shoes were considered 'gang-related'.

Nike is re-releasing a classic silhouette for this spring. The Nike Cortez first launched in 1972 and returned in 2022 for its 50th anniversary. One of the most sought-after colorways, the “Forrest Gump,” was first released in 2018 and is now slated to return for 2024.

According to urban lore—which changes constantly, Barrett says—the Mexican gangs took on the Cortez as part of their uniform because of the chapter in Mexico's history that inspired the sneaker's name: the conquest of the Aztec empire by Hernan Cortés, the infamous Spanish conquistador.