ATLANTA — A historically Black college alumna has designed a Nike shoe inspired by her very own alma mater metro Atlanta's Spelman College.
Nani Edwards collaborated with Nike to create the Terminator high shoe which has jaguar prints on the sole paying tribute to the school's former mascot.
"It only came to me in seconds. I knew exactly where I wanted the placement. I came prepared. I had a file ready. I wanted to show that there's an experience with everywhere you turn and look at the shoe," said Edwards told 11Alive on Tuesday.
The special edition shoe, decked out in the school's colors, also features phrases from the Spelman hymn and the year the school was founded -- 1881. The process took a whole year.
Edwards said the shoes were created to "with stand the test of time."
"Again, everything is a purpose. You know, when people when you step into the shoe, black women that every time you lace your your feet up, lace your shoes, you are remaining undaunted by the fight when you go out into the world," the alumna said.
According to the Nike website, the suede shoe will be on sale on Saturday at 10 a.m. They are currently running for a price of $150.
"I feel so enormously blessed to have the honor in representing Spelman College following the legacy of my mother in this full circle moment," Edwards said shortly after the shoe's announcement in an Instagram post. "I’ve been overwhelmed in emotion and tears since the moment I began this journey back in December."
College officials said Edwards graduated from the university in 2015 and said the shoe represented her destiny of attending the school.
“This is something that I know,” she said. “I walked the halls of Spelman College. My mother went to Spelman College. My father went to Morehouse; I am a Spelhouse baby. I know this through and through.”
Edwards collaborated with the Nike Yard Runners Campaign who gave her complete control of the shoe's design.
"Spelman College changed my life & the memories I’ll hold dear to my heart. I’m so blessed to be apart of this Sisterhood," Edwards continued in her post.
For those who don't catch the shoe's launch online or at a nearby Nike store, the suede shoe will be at the Sole Play Her in Decatur, according to a recent Instagram post from Edwards.
"The first time I laid my eyes on this shoe, I knew that it was going to be something special and a token that will literally last forever. I obviously didn't know it was going to sell as quick," Edwards said.
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