The Story Behind Our Coquí Design: Two Feet. One Frog. United.
I get asked all the time: "What does your coquí design mean?"
And honestly? I love that question. Because it gives me a chance to tell you what
Island Frog is really about
When my son Alex and I were designing this brand, we didn't just want a cute logo.
We wanted something that told the truth about being Puerto Rican—especially when
you're not living on the island anymore.
Let me walk you through what you're looking at.
THE BUTTERFLY BETWEEN TWO OCEANS
At the top of our design, you'll see a butterfly, the Puerto Rican butterfly, spreading
its wings between two labels: "Caribbean Sea" on the left, "Atlantic Ocean" on the right.
That's not random. That's our reality.
Puerto Rico sits between two different oceans. We're literally caught in the middle. And if you've ever felt caught between two cultures, two languages, two identities—you understand what that butterfly represents.
The butterfly says: You don't pick one ocean or the other. You spread your wings and
fly between both. You transform without losing yourself.
EL YUNQUE: WHERE THE COQUÍ SINGS
See those mountain peaks? That's El Yunque, the only tropical rainforest in the U.S.
National Forest System. It's where the coquí lives and sings its famous two-note song.
Here's something most people don't know: the coquí can't survive anywhere else.
Scientists have tried. They've taken coquís to Hawaii, to Florida, to perfect climate-controlled environments. The frogs live, sure. But they stop singing. Silent. Like they know they're not home.
That hit me hard when I learned it. Because I know that feeling. I've built a good
life in Florida—family, business, community. But there's still something that only
comes alive when I'm back on the island. Something I can't explain, but I feel it
the moment I step off the plane.
That's what the coquí represents. That deep, biological connection to place. That
sense of belonging you carry with you, even when you're far away.
And that's why 10% of our profits go to protecting El Yunque and Puerto Rico's
ecosystem. If we lose the rainforest, we lose the coquí. And if we lose the coquí,
we lose more than a frog; we lose a piece of our soul.
The Two Feet: The Heart of Everything
Puerto Ricans Living Outside The Island
That's the diaspora. Navigating two worlds, code-switching between languages, explaining our heritage, missing home but building lives where we are.
PR Residents Living On The Island
Still there, dealing with their own challenges—economic struggles, hurricane recovery, the daily reality of loving a place that doesn't always make it easy.
Two feet are connected. Part of the same body. The coquí doesn't favor one over the other. It needs both to stand.
You're not less Puerto Rican because you live in Orlando. You're not disconnected because you were born in Philadelphia. Both feet are planted. Both communities matter. We're united.
THE UNBROKEN LINE
Here's my favorite detail: the entire design; from the butterfly at the top, through
the oceans, down the mountains, around the coquí, through both feet, and back up—
is drawn in one continuous, unbroken line.
One. Single. Line.
Nothing is separate. Everything connects.
You can't separate the ocean from the island. The butterfly from the culture. The
stateside Puerto Ricans from the island Puerto Ricans. The past from the present.
Your roots from your reality.
It's all part of the same story, told in one line, sung in one song.
That line represents what we believe: we're stronger together. Our diaspora
strengthens our island. Our culture adapts without disappearing. We're not broken
into pieces; we're connected, always.
THE 78 MUNICIPALITIES & OUR COASTLINE
At the bottom, you'll see references to Puerto Rico's 78 municipalities and our
coastline—"Waves Crashing On Beach."
Puerto Rico isn't one homogeneous place. It's 78 distinct towns, from the surfing
beaches of Rincón to the mountains of Jayuya, from San Juan's streets to Vieques.'
quiet beauty. Each with its own personality, its own festivals, its own pride.
And that coastline? That's where I learned to swim. Where my dad taught me to fish.
Where generations have gathered. The edge where the island meets the world—our
boundary and our gateway, all at once.
WHAT THIS MEANS WHEN YOU WEAR IT
When you put on a shirt with this coquí design, you're doing more than getting dressed.
You're wrapping yourself in a story that goes back centuries. You're standing with
one foot in tradition and one foot in the future. You're saying: I'm proud of where
I come from, and I'm not apologizing for who I am.
You're keeping the coquí singing, even if you're not on the island to hear it.
And you're supporting the mission.Because 10% of our annual profits go back to protecting Puerto Rico's ecosystem—the beaches, the rainforest, the endangered species, including the coquí itself.
FOR EVERYONE WHO UNDERSTANDS
You don't have to be Puerto Rican to get this design.
You just have to know what it feels like to be from somewhere that shaped you. To
carry a place in your heart even when you can't be there. To want your kids to know
where they come from. To see a symbol and feel something stir in your chest.
If you get that feeling, you get this design.
Ko-kee. Ko-kee.
Listen closely. The song is still there.
Two notes. Two feet. One coquí. One people.
United.
---
Jose & Alex
Co-Founders, Island Frog™
Born in Puerto Rico. Made for Everywhere.
Ready to Wear the Story?
Every purchase celebrates Puerto Rican heritage and protects the island's future.
🌿 10% of annual profits support El Yunque preservation and endangered species protection