Brand: Fear of God ESSENTIALS x Converse
Model: Skidgrip
Key Features: The Fear of God ESSENTIALS x Converse Skidgrip arrives in a high-top look with a digitally printed archival pattern. The sneaker features a padded collar and OrthoLite sock liner, and is labeled with co-branding on the tongue, in addition to Fear of God ESSENTIALS and Chuck 70 vintage license plates.
Release Date: August 27
Price: $120
Buy: Converse.com and select retailers
Editor’s Notes: Jerry Lorenzo and Fear of God ESSENTIALS are back with a new Converse collaboration. The upcoming release centers around a somewhat forgotten sneaker in the Skidgrip.
The Skidgrip was introduced to the world in 1910 via the Converse Circular Vamp Oxford (CVO), a favorite on the tennis and basketball courts, as well as boat and skate decks. Fast forward a few decades, and the sneaker became synonymous with SoCal cool, frequently seen throughout the BMX, skate, and surf scenes.
“I found the Skidgrip in the mall and it became my favorite shoe from that summer,” Lorenzo said remembering his first encounter with the shoe in the late '80s. “In South Florida and California kids surf and skate; those cultures naturally blended. Even though I wasn't a skater or a surfer, mixing in pieces from those cultures allowed me to move through different segments of friends.”
The high-top version of the Skidgrip from the late 1980s largely stood out due to its bold prints, similar to the one used on the Fear of God ESSENTIALS iteration. Lorenzo has redefined the shape of the silhouette, implementing a 30-degree slope along the midsole from heel to toe.
“The sole is the biggest takeaway when you look at the sneaker,” the designer said. “It feels very much like our main line, the Fear of God 101, and gives it the same feeling looking down as looking down at the Skidgrip in the late ’80s.”
“Everything we've tried to do starts from a place of honesty," he went on to add. "We picked the Skidgrip because it was a shoe that I loved when I was younger. Our aim in bringing back a silhouette that has been perhaps overlooked is to bring it a fresh relevance.”
Following the release of the Fear of God ESSENTIALS x Converse Skidgrip, new inline versions of the sneaker will become available in September.
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