No Chucks needed: Converse SHAI 001

No Chucks needed: Converse SHAI 001

Things have been quiet for a long time around the nearly 120-year-old brand. For many years, the All Star Chuck Taylor sneakers—aka Chucks—were synonymous with subculture, pop culture, and youth culture. Over time, other silhouettes like the Jack Purcell and the One Star stepped into the spotlight, while collaborations—such as those with Tyler, The Creator and his brand Golf Le Fleur—brought a breath of fresh air to the dusty archives.

Then, it felt like we didn’t hear anything from Converse for quite some time. Competitors like Vans or knockoff silhouettes from Maison Mihara Yasuhiro, Rick Owens, or Maison Margiela had finally pushed the former star from Massachusetts out of sneakerheads’ consciousness. So it’s all the more gratifying that Converse is now returning to its roots and making a comeback stronger than ever.

Here’s the new Converse SHAI 001:

It’s hard to believe, but Converse was originally the go-to sneaker brand for basketball players and released its first court silhouette, the All Star, as early as 1917. Other sneakers, such as the Converse Weapon, also found their way into the NBA and were even featured in anime series like Slam Dunk. With the SHAI 001, Converse aims to continue this legacy.

The sneaker was developed in collaboration with Canadian basketball player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and has already been released in an initial colorway. Key design elements include the padded upper, the zipper-shroud construction that replaces traditional laces, and the subtle tone-on-tone branding on the heel and tongue. All in all, the Converse SHAI 001’s aesthetic falls somewhere between a performance sneaker and an everyday sneaker, so it’s likely to appeal to more than just die-hard basketball fans.

When will the basketball sneakers be released?

During the “Butter“—colorway is already sold out, fans can look forward to new colorways in “Charm Black”, “Hail Clay” and “Masi Blue” that are set to be available as early as October 2 at Converse and select retailers such as Kickz. To make sure you don’t miss the next SHAI 001 drop, download our free HEAT MVMNT Sneaker App Download it.

Tags: Converse