Cool Hunting

Although only 1000 of these shoes were made, these limited edition sneakers are more about art than footwear. Featured in the Printed Matter booth at Art Basel and designed by Argentine-born artist Judi Werthein, Brincos were created for migrant workers crossing the U.S./Mexico border. Each pair comes with a flashlight and compass attached to the shoelaces, a small pocket in the tongue for money or pain relievers, and a map of the border printed on the removable insole. With a Mexican-flag colorway, the pattern on the heel represents the Mexican eagle and the design on the toe hails from the American eagle found on quarter dollars. A small portrait of the Vatican-approved patron saint of migrants, St. Toribio Romo Gonzalez, adorns the back ankle.

While Brincos can be purchased from Printed Matter for $215, Werthein mostly distributes them for free at border crossings.

More pictures after the jump.