Air Jordan 3 ‘Ofrenda’
A Celebration of Heritage and Craftsmanship
Project Details
Brand: Pioneer Design Lab
Type: Custom Sneaker
Techniques Used: Embroidery, Hand-Painting, Machine Sewing, Cricut Machine Cutting
Materials: Ivory Calfskin Leather, Burro Ghost Leather, Black Lambskin Liner
Year: 2024
This project was a deep exploration of storytelling through footwear design. I was responsible for the full creative process of this project, from conceptualization and material selection to execution and final detailing. My work included embroidery, hand-painting, precision cutting using a Cricut machine, and full sneaker assembly using an industrial post-bed sewing machine. In addition to the physical sneaker customization, I filmed and edited a video presentation to document the process and showcase the design’s inspirations. This project allowed me to refine my skills in material experimentation, craftsmanship, and visual storytelling, further strengthening my ability to execute concept-driven design work.
Back view
The Air Jordan 3 'Ofrenda' is a fusion of heritage, craftsmanship, and storytelling—an homage to the traditions of Día de Muertos. Rooted in the sacred practice of honoring loved ones, this custom sneaker transforms a classic silhouette into a contemporary tribute, where every material and design choice carries symbolic weight. Like an ofrenda, it serves as both a remembrance and a celebration, bridging past and present in a singular artistic expression.
Embroidered heel detail
The most striking element of the sneaker, the embroidered skull on the heel tab, draws inspiration from calaveras de azúcar—the iconic sugar skulls placed on altars to honor loved ones. Intricately detailed in marigold, red, teal, green, and purple threads, the embroidery reflects the vibrancy of the celebration, where death is not mourned but embraced as part of the cycle of life.
Beneath this, the hand-painted marigold midsole references cempasúchil flowers, believed to guide spirits back home. The speckled paint finish adds depth and an organic quality, reminiscent of the scattered petals leading toward an ofrenda. These design choices transform the sneaker into a wearable altar, a personal tribute woven with memory and tradition.
Concept sketch
Ghost leather detail
The design continues its story through contrast, texture, and transformation. The smooth bone-white leather upper represents the calacas—joyous skeletons that celebrate life beyond death. Its unbroken surface acts as a canvas, allowing intricate details to unfold across the sneaker.
Black contrast detailing, inspired by La Calavera Catrina, accentuates the silhouette, reinforcing the duality of life and death. Adding another layer of storytelling, ghost leather accents on the eyelets evolve over time, revealing hidden hues of orange, teal, yellow, and purple—a tribute to the way memories resurface across generations. Like the Día de Muertos traditions it honors, the sneaker itself transforms, deepening its character with every step.
La Calavera Catrina by José Guadalupe Posada
Papel picado inspired cutout detail
The final layer of craftsmanship in this custom sneaker lies in its papel picado-inspired cutouts, meticulously designed to mirror the delicate paper banners that adorn altars and streets during Día de Muertos. These intricate perforations, found along the mudguard and heel, symbolize the fragility of life, a reminder that existence is fleeting yet beautiful.
These cutouts also expose layers of ghost-finished leather beneath, echoing the colorful nature of papel picado and adding depth to the sneaker’s design. This attention to layered detail extends throughout the sneaker, ensuring that every angle offers a new discovery—just as Día de Muertos itself is an invitation to look deeper, to remember, and to celebrate.
Digital mock-up
Lateral view
The Air Jordan 3 'Ofrenda' is not just a sneaker—it’s a bridge between tradition and modern craftsmanship, a wearable testament to remembrance and cultural pride. Every stitch, material, and evolving patina tells a story of transformation, mirroring the way memories live on through generations. More than an object, it is a ritual, an heirloom, and a tribute—an invitation to honor the past while stepping boldly into the future.