New York City had plenty to celebrate over the weekend, as the Knicks’ NBA Finals win on Saturday gave way to the 2026 National Puerto Rican Day Parade on Sunday. Jose Alvarado arrived fresh off winning the NBA championship with the New York Knicks the night before, joining a Fifth Avenue lineup that also included Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Dayanara Torres, Anthony Ramos, WWE’s Damian Priest and more, who showed off their love for Puerto Rico as well as their parade-ready shoes.
No one has had a busier weekend than Mayor Mamdani. The politician attended the match between Morocco and Brazil on Saturday at New Jersey’s Met Life Stadium, then headed back to New York to celebrate the Knicks’ win, where he was spotted out and about until late in the night. He then made it to the parade on Sunday, styling a basketball jersey on top of his shirt and tie.
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The mayor walked a seemingly indeterminate number of steps in black leather lace-up shoes. He has previously worn To Boot New York‘s Burkett Black Calf Leather Cap Toe Lace Boot, which is a similar style to the round-toe pair he wore at the event.
Parade Queen Dayanara Torres went with a more celebratory ensemble for the event. She stood tall in a pair of Kenneth Cole New York Nadine Jewel platform sandals in metallic silver with embellished straps that crisscross over the toes.
The shoes feature a stiletto heel that measures 4.5 inches with a 1-inch platform, an almond toe and a zipper closure in the back. The upper and the covered heel are made with a mirror polyurethane material. The shoes retail for $149 at Macy’s. The former Miss Universe, who won while representing Puerto Rico in 1993, paired the heels with a light blue Hervé Léger bandage dress.
Anthony Ramos, who is a Brooklyn native and proud Puerto Rican, arrived at the parade in Nike Air Max 97 SE “Frank Rudy” sneakers. The shoes follow Nike’s signature Air Max 97 silhouette but feature an updated multicolor design with the signature Swoosh logo detailing at the side. The shoes pay homage to NASA engineer Marion Frank Rudy, who was the first to present Nike founder Phil Knight with the novel idea of adding an air unit to the midsole of sneakers.
From the see-through “Air pocket” heel to the release date proudly stamped on the Air unit, the style celebrates Rudy’s legacy with fun details that also add comfort. The “In The Heights” star kept it simple in a white tank top and light wash jeans with a flag draped around his shoulders.
Damian Priest greeted fans along the parade route on Sunday, wearing a pair of white sneakers that paid tribute to Puerto Rico. The sneakers featured a Puerto Rican flag on the side in a gray and white colorway. The WWE Tag Team champion walked the parade last year in a white pair of Air Force 1s that were also custom painted with red, blue and white designs to pay tribute to the island.
Unlike the mayor, New York Governor Kathy Hochul opted for comfort. She stepped out to celebrate alongside the Puerto Rican community in a pair of classic Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Low-Top Unisex shoes in white.
