Why do we need Converse All Stars?

When we talk about footwear classics, it is impossible to gloss over Converse. The iridescent DNA and adaptability have always been the brand's strong points. On the other hand, Converse's stroke of genius has always been to deliberately keep a low profile - from this foundation would begin the real rise in lifestyle, after the initial success in sportswear. The brand has never lost its identity and has never distorted itself; however, it has shared, in the past as well as at this time, its essence with other brands, making co-branding one of the main strategies for staying on top of the game. In addition to Liverpool, with which it is linked thanks to its connection with Nike, a company that bought Converse in 2003, the latest entity with which it has collaborated is pgLang (a communications agency specializing in visual media production founded by Kendrick Lamar), which for the occasion has created and distributed two video commercials featuring singer Dominic Fike as the protagonist (only the most ardent fans will remember having already seen them on his feet, obviously in the scenes of Euphoria).

In addition to an incredible focus on collaborations and a path lived on, the aspect that has allowed Converse to never lose its way has also been that of playfulness, passed down from generation to generation. The All Star model has been successful for years partly because everyone is free to interpret it in the way they prefer. There are factions that clash over the discourse regarding the cleanliness of Converse: there are those who prefer them clean, sparkly, and those who believe they only gain charm when they are well lived in. Or if not, there is the endless issue of laces. Let's keep in mind, of course, the high top version: distinguished by the canvas reinforcement in the ankle area, there are those who very ingeniously decide to pass the laces around that area after inserting them in the so-called eyelets, before lacing them up, an idea, although disputable from the point of view of aesthetics and practicality, unquestionably smart if you want to shorten the length of the laces. This technique is not replicable on all sneakers (let's take as an example a Jordan 1, an iconic high top model that has become among the most famous in basketball and beyond) in order for the laces to pass around the ankle it is necessary for the shoe to have a structure with a very thin collar, which is why this lacing technique you may have seen, often, on Rick Owens' Ramones model, distinguished by long laces and a thin collar.

For Converse, lacing is serious business. There's a guide on their website about it. Among the various lacing options, in addition to the so-called "straight bar shoe lacing," which involves the laces arranged straight (and not crossed, the most common technique) between the sneaker's threadbands, there is the "two tone shoe lacing," which consists of a classic braided lacing but with the use of a double lace. The pair of laces, chromatically distinct from each other, manages to create a very fun chromatic effect.We are sure that if you are between 25 and 30 years old, you have certainly used or at least noticed, on the feet of your classmates, this technique that used to be expressed by combining a pair of fluorescent laces and an achromatic pair (black, gray or white). This tradition has been passed down very well and has been adapted to all mediums, making its presence even on TikTok, where it is not difficult to come across video tutorials regarding precisely the different lacing techniques.

As mentioned earlier, Converse recently made its entry into soccer through a partnership with Liverpool, thus keeping its essence to orbit in the sports context, exactly where it was born. But why would it be wrong to say that Converse is back in fashion? Such a brand has never stopped being considered, neither by so-called "insiders" nor by the rest of the world. Of the post-swag era, and the consequent valorization of minimal sneakers such as the All Star (as well as Samba, Gazelle and the whole adidas arsenal), it is also thanks to some fashion creators active on TikTok: have they made us momentarily overcome that dark era in which to have a socially accepted outfit you needed flashy four-figure sneakers, poses bordering on the embarrassing and skinny Bershka? If so, we'd be happy to say that All Stars have always been in fashion and will continue to be in fashion.