Steven Mena Carries His Salvadoran Mother’s Strength and Kindness Into His adidas Partnership

Steven Mena’s mother still wakes up at 5 a.m. on the dot. There is usually a manila folder nearby, or a phone call to handle. Even now, he struggles to convince his parents to take a vacation.

“To this day, my mom is probably the hardest-working person I know,” he tells DRAFTED.

Growing up, Mena watched that same persistence across his family: his father, two older brothers, cousins, aunts, and uncles. He wanted to help change their circumstances, and he carried their example into building MENACE, the Los Angeles streetwear brand he founded in 2013.

That history informs the MENACE x adidas Originals Adistar Control 5 “Heat Signature,” released as the brand celebrates its 13th anniversary. Drawing on thermal imaging, the sneaker uses vivid colors and shifting gradients to visualize the energy that goes into work, creativity, and caring for other people.

“The Heat Signature Adistar Control 5 is really about the work people don’t see,” Mena said in the announcement. “Every early morning, late night, setback, and breakthrough leaves something behind.”

The release arrives alongside another milestone: Mena has been named this year’s partner for adidas’ Nuestra Cultura al Mundo initiative, a platform honoring Hispanic and Latino voices shaping sport, culture, and community. In the role, he will lead cultural storytelling across separate initiatives.

The places behind the design

Mena grew up around Vernon and the industrial side of Huntington Park, with Maywood and Bell nearby. Workwear was part of the environment he saw every day, and its influence continues to appear in his designs.

The steel embossing in his work references the backs of pickup trucks and the work vehicles his father rode in. His dad still has his work van.

“It’s not something that’s unique to Latino heritage, but it comes through my Latino perspective and the environment I grew up in,” Mena explains.

Other references come from family conversations and traditions. The religious imagery in his graphics reflects his mother’s faith and the faith he has come to recognize more deeply in his father. Their conversations often include a mention of God or the phrase “Si Dios quiere.”

Paisley carries connections to Los Angeles, as well as to Mexican cowboys and charrería. Those influences can be present without being immediately obvious to everyone who wears the clothes.

For Mena, that leaves room to create without making every piece an explicit declaration of identity.

“I’m bringing a Latino perspective to everything I create, whether or not it looks blatantly Latino,” he says.

What his mother taught him

His family’s influence also shapes how he approaches the work itself.

Mena credits his mother, aunts, and cousins with nurturing the softer, kinder parts of his personality. He remembers his mother feeding visitors, making sure everyone was cared for, and continuing to greet people with a smile through difficult circumstances.

“My mom is one of the kindest people you could meet,” he says.

Her example gave him a way to understand ambition that included generosity. He could be disciplined about what he was building and gracious toward the people around him. As he has gotten older, he says, he has come to appreciate the power of that lesson.

The women behind the work

For his Nuestra Cultura al Mundo editorial, Mena turned the camera toward the women helping bring the adidas partnership to life.

Among those he credits are executive producer and stylist Allison Cartagena, PR lead Abigail Kim, April Kosky and Sky Diaz of Waddon Media, and photographers Carolina Isabel Salazar, Thalía Gochez, and Ro.lexx.

He also recognizes adidas team members Simone Smyth, Nida Suhail, Sabrina Yang, and Sarah Farrell, alongside the models and creators contributing on set and behind the scenes.

“I’m sure I’m missing people, but all of those contributions matter,” he says. “These women have helped shape the last couple of years of our adidas partnership and, in turn, the brand itself.”

Reflecting on the family who shaped him, his hope is simple: “I just hope I’m making them proud.”

The MENACE x adidas Originals Adistar Control 5 “Heat Signature” launched October 27 for $180 through the MENACE website, adidas CONFIRMED, and select retailers.