Converse enlists Nike for iconic sneaker's second revamp
Converse All Star Modern is 'inspired by' the classic, but uses Converse's heritage in a new way
It's not often a classic gets reinvented twice in as many years. But for a dinosaur of a shoe like the Converse All Star, it just makes sense.
Hot on the heels of the Converse All Star II released last year, parent company Nike is reinventing the classic basketball shoe again. This, time, however, the shoe has been completely reinvented and reimagined. While the All Star II kept the original styling of the All Star, with only tweaks to the styling to update it while making it more comfortable, the All Star Modern, completely changes it up.
The only thing the new shoe really shares in common with is the classic shoe's iconic silhouette. The Modern is "inspired by" the classic, using Converse's heritage in a new way
“The Converse All Star Modern is a perfect fusion of our sport heritage with modern design,” said Converse creative director and VP Bryan Cioffi in a release. “With this collection, Converse is delivering a comfortable, lightweight product that’s new, exciting and modern, but still feels very Converse.”
In the more expensive limited edition version of the shoe, goat leather replaces canvas for an upscale look with the All Star patch embossed on the side. Nike has also made a permanent collection of knit versions of the shoe. Both boast an impressive amount of Nike proprietary technology that makes the shoe breathable, durable, and lightweight. A soft Neoprene tongue was even added for additional comfort.
The leather versions come in black and white and retail for US$180. They were designed through a collaboration called HTM, that includes Nike CEO Mark Parker, streetwear brand Fragment Design founder Hiroshi Fujiwara, and Nike design legend Tinker Hatfield.