Brand: Rick Owens x Converse
Model: TURBODRK Chuck 70
Release Date: July 12
Price: $170
Buy: Highsnobiety Shop
Editor's Notes: Ever since the collaboration was first announced in 2021, Rick Owens and Converse's joint sneakers have been offered in two simple colorways, a white and a black option. The collaboration's latest release is no different, keeping to the lord of darkness' signature monochrome palette — but there's a twist.
The two labels have brought back the square-toed version of the chuck 70s which initiated their partnership on the runway during the Fall/Winter 2021 season, switching up the fabrics to something a little more eye-catching.
Releasing on July 12 is a low and hi version of the sneaker, both coming with different finishes. Beginning with the hi-top version, its black body is created from lacquered denim that creates a high shine normally reserved for leather fabrics without using animal products.
Further breaking the convention of the label's previous releases, which have come in relatively standard leather or canvas, is the low-top variation. The sneaker comes in silver fabric, matching the shiny finish given to its taller partner.
Owens has made no secret of his admiration for Converse, with his signature sneakers, colloquially known as "Ramones", bearing a strong resemblance to the Chuck 70. The designer even told WWD when the collaboration was first announced, “I’ve been referencing Converse for years, so when they suggested a collaboration, it seemed like a good, natural thing to do. And it kind of closed this poetic circle since I’ve been referencing them for so long, and they were cool with it.”
We've seen with those sneakers, and his other trademark models, that alongside the white and black versions that are mainstays in his selection, each season they get a new update which is often bolder than the last. We've seen the "Ramones" be created in fluffy fabrics, as was recently worn by Lil Baby, and given even bigger proportions through chunky laces or a platform sole.
This latest release indicates that the American designer's collaborative sneakers with Converse could be subject to similar treatment. Now that he has established his exaggerated versions of the Chuck 70 and Weapon, we might be about to see Owens take things ever more abstract with every season that goes by.
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