I used to love wearing converses. I remember when I was in secondary school, and they were all the rage. Our school uniform was all black, so naturally, everyone gravitated towards the all-black chucks. However, on the weekends is where you could shrug off black in favour of your favourite colour or fabric.
My love for converses continued to blossom when I travelled to the states. I remember buying unseen amounts at a discount shoe seller. Thinking back at it now, they probably weren’t legit, but at that moment, I was in shoe heaven. As a poor student in London, I used to go to Brick Lane at the weekends and buy knock-off converse at a fraction of the price.
My wardrobe was full of chucks, and it was the only footwear that I used to wear, but over time my fondness dwindled as my fashion evolved. Through that evolution, I discovered brands like Axel Arigato and Veja, to name a few, which were leading the trend and doing fun things with their footwear.
The problem I had with converse is that they never fully evolved with the footwear trends, which is always hard when you have a traditional silhouette and customer base. So what I didn’t expect is to see was the converse brand take on a new direction. Instead, they were finally in touch with some of the biggest footwear trends and done the unthinkable, reimagine the Chuck Taylor.
Fast forward to 2021, and I am now back on the converse train and ready to start a new journey back with my first footwear love. If you are not familiar with the new converse styles taking the footwear world by storm, I have you covered. Here are the latest styles that have me obsessed:
The run star hike is my favourite of the new converse style. They feature a sizeable chunky sole with jagged black and gum rubber sole. I purchased these straight away when they came out, and I wear them almost every week. Run Star Hikes are perfect for a fashion-forward casual look and can work well in a dressed-down, tailored look.
If you think the Run Stars couldn’t get any cooler, think again. The exaggerated soles take on a whimsical design with wavy and distorted lines outlining the rubber sole.
Lugged Leather Chuck Taylor All Star
Perfect for the fall season, this style features a white lugged sole. The upper fabric is made from leather for a durable take on the classic canvas.
Rick Owens DRKSHDW x Converse TURBODRK Chuck 70 Ox
Last but certainly not least is the Rick Owens collaboration that has recently dropped. The design is entirely off-brand featuring a more extended length tongue and a squared-off toe for a unique shoe shape. There is also a high top style in a black colourway.
What is your relationship with converses? Do you own the classic chucks, or do you prefer the new interpretations this year?