Moving from the back to the sides, the shoes showcase another personal element in addition to an educational element. On the outside of the right shoe are the Puerto Rican and Mexican flags, representing Rivera’s heritage from his father’s and mother’s side respectively. Then on the outside of the left shoe reads “Entrenador en Jefe”, which translates to “head coach” in Spanish. All Hispanic Heritage Month-focused shoes created by El Snap and Soles by Sir share this language.
“That’s the real focus of this initiative is to highlight post names in Spanish to not only spark a conversation, but also teach the avid fan or the casual fan something new about their player,” said Hernandez said.
Inside Rivera’s left shoe is Commander “W”. Besides simply being the logo for Rivera’s coaching staff, Washington’s new logo is, as Hernandez said, “a representation of inclusivity.” The “W” is to welcome more communities into football, a mission of Commanders which also closely aligns with that of El Snap.
Finally, on the top of both shoes is a quote from one of Rivera’s great inspirations, Puerto Rican baseball player Roberto Clemente. The quote, which was chosen by Rivero, reads: “I believe that all human beings are equal, but you have to constantly fight to maintain that equality.”
“I think [Coach Rivera] represents that quote so well because he understands that he’s worked hard to get to where he is, but he also understands that he’s not done,” Hernandez said. “He has to keep working not just to stay in that position, but to help others be in a position like his in the future.”