#HTE

Converse Releases New All Star Pro BB and Enlists Tinker Hatfield for “Star Series”

We all know Converse as the original basketball shoe, as over the past century the All Star has become the quintessential sneaker. The design has stayed almost identical to its original in 1920 and it has been adopted by widely different subcultures due to its classic and versatile style.

In 2003, Converse celebrated its 95th anniversary, and Nike acquired the brand for $305 million. Annual sales grew from $200 million to $2 billion, and now the brand represents one of Nike’s fastest growing segments. The All Star Pro BB is the newest release from Converse and represents a harkening back to the brand’s original roots in basketball as well as harbinger of what’s to come.

With the Pro BB, Nike created a modern basketball shoe with a bouncy React midsole and a “quadifit” canvas upper, but what’s not new is the minimal construction and design of the OG All Star. References like the ankle patch, cupsole and chevron logo are a throwback to design elements of basketball shoe classics.

As a successful lifestyle brand and shoe, this is a defining step for Converse. We’ve seen a variety of iterations of the All Star including Jack Purcell, CDG, Off-White, JW Anderson, Missoni and many more, but the last time we have seen the shoe on court has been decades.

Next up from Converse is the Star Series: a collection of three shoes designed in help with none other than Tinker Hatfield. The series includes the Star Series BB, Star Series RN, and Star Series UT; a basketball shoe, running shoe, and utility inspired chukka that blend the lifestyle versatility of Converse and the performance and comfort of Nike.

Hatfield said when designing the shoe “Converse’s design language to me is very egalitarian. Simple, straight, horizontal. The uppers tend to be humble materials. I think there’s a beauty in that, so we wanted to design products with performance features, but honor the design language.” Priced at $75 for the BB and $95 for the RN, these shoes really do represent an accessible price point in the Nike/Converse lineup.

It’s been over 15 years since Nike acquired Converse, and nearly a century since the original All Star debuted. The All Star BB and the forthcoming Tinker Hatfield collaboration mark a serious transition for the brand, a shift from lifestyle to technical product, and a development to more modern, minimal design. What do you think of the new shoes? Could you wear them for sport, or see yourself wearing them casually?