Adidas Philippines has launched its latest hyperlocal collaboration with local graffiti trio Aral Cru, titled “ALAB NG PUSO.” The collaboration, inspired by the love for basketball in Filipinos’ everyday lives, is the latest in the brand’s history of partnering with local artists. Aral Cru, consisting of college friends Cinos, Frank, and Bvdot, began their relationship with the brand three years ago with a custom floor mural at the Adidas Brand Center basketball section in Glorietta.

With a concept that embraces the Filipino qualities of passion and grit, the silhouette – aptly themed Alab ng Puso –  comes in a red-blue-yellow colorway inspired by the Philippine flag and also features a design language that speaks about the enduring and burning love Filipinos have for basketball.

“The story behind Alab ng Puso is that it comes from the burning desire of Filipinos towards basketball. It’s deeply embedded in the hearts of the Filipino culture, […] and anywhere in the Philippines, whether the streets or remote islands, you would see a basketball court,” says Frank, one-third of the trio.

Conceptualized, designed, and produced in close collaboration between artist and brand, the result is a silhouette combining cultural designs and street art and graffiti aesthetic. For one, the Philippine flag-inspired colorway is accented with splashes of orange, symbolizing Filipinos’ flame – or passion – for the game.

Aral Cru also ensured their style was preserved in the release. The forefoot and insole design is home to a unique spray paint gradient effect that uses the group’s signature approach.

“‘Yung mga texture na ginamit namin is gradient spray paint. Meron siyang splatter, may mga konting texture, ‘yun ‘yung naging main inspiration namin na isama sa design. Sa color palette na ginamit namin, ginawa namin ‘yung fade ng red to yellow para magmukhang nagbabaga, o umaalab,” says Cinos, another member of the group, of their design process.

(The textures we used are a gradient achieved with spray paint, where transitions aren’t sharp. It has splatters and some subtle textures, which inspired us to incorporate them into the design. In the color palette we used, we created a fade from red to yellow to make it look like it’s glowing or ablaze.”)

Hard to miss from the silhouette would also be the unique Alab ng Puso logo that the crew themselves produced exclusively for this collaboration. This interpretation sees the classic basketball outline encased in a heart-shaped design and joined with a flame burning above it – representing Filipinos’ all-enduring love for the sport. Aral Cru also produced its spin on the Adidas logo. The iconic Adidas Badge of Sport is now splashed in red and orange – showcasing the brand and artist’s close relationship.

The latest in Adidas’ hyperlocal release serves as both a tribute to basketball’s legacy in the Filipino community and a way to continue the brand’s efforts to support local artists.

Bvdot says about the importance of shining a light on the local community, “Sana mas ma-normalize pa to collaborate with local artists. I think it’s very progressive as a community and as a country – ‘yun naman talaga ‘yun, no? To help each other, to uplift each other. This could be an inspiration to someone, such as a child, or maybe artists like us who also love basketball, na maraming paraan to show your love through art.”

(“I hope collaborating with local artists becomes even more normalized. I think it’s very progressive as a community and as a country – that’s really what it’s all about, right? To help each other, to uplift each other. This could also be an inspiration to someone, like a child who’s still studying, or maybe artists like us who also love basketball, and show them that there are many ways to express your love through art.”)

Wear your pride on and off the court with the BYW SELECT ARAL CRU “ALAB NG PUSO”, now available in select stores and adidas.com.ph, retailing for PHP 7,300. The hyperlocal line-up also comes with tees in black and white colorways, a cap, and socks all sporting Aral Cru’s touches.

For more information, visit @adidasph on Instagram and Facebook.