Vaquera, one of the brightest and wildest stars in New York's uncategorizable fashion mix, does a sneaker collab as only Vaquera could. The Vaquera x Converse Chuck Taylor is, thus, barely a Chuck Taylor.

Debuted during Vaquera's Paris Fashion Week runway presentation on March 3, the Vaquera x Converse sneaker is still a Chuck, to be clear. It's just difficult to recognize as such.

Shrouded by an adjustable pillar of canvas, the Vaquera Converse sneakers look pretty normal, if you start at their sole. Above that, things get a wee bit crazy.

The shoe's upper entirely vanishes in a pile of textile, which can be pulled up like a boot or worn slouchy like, er, a pair of pants. Inside, a hidden wedge sole for extra lift.

Getty Images / Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho

And, at the top, shoelaces secure the Vaquera Converse's height. Or not. Your call!

The boot-ish sneaker is not the knee-high Converse you once knew but it is quintessential Vaquera.

Backed by Dover Street Market Paris' brand development branch, which also oversees labels like ERL and Liberal Youth Ministry, Vaquera epitomizes a sense free expression similar to that of DSM's parent company, COMME des GARÇONS.

Even Vagquera's signature items, ostensibly its most grounded, overtly wear the label's evocative fingerprint. Consider the T-shirts fitted with external bras, for instance.

Vaquera's statement pieces, meanwhile, redefine the term.

At the Fall/Winter 2025 show where it debuted its Converse sneaker, for instance, Vaquera also sent out blazers snipped into crop-tops, reflective sweaters with necks so tall that they envelop the wearer's face, XXXXXL belts, and pearl necklaces large enough that you could jump rope with them. These are wearable enough to avoid categorization as costume but they retain the fun of playing dress-up.

The name of the game is: Fun. Free expression. Personality. Playfulness. Old codes ripped up, turned on their head, flipped inside out. Even Chuck Taylor ain't safe.