Matt Varga All of a sudden, Converse is at the center of the conversation. Pushing product with the help of a red-hot superstar in Tyler, The Creator and a player coming off of one of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history in Shai-Gilgeous Alexander will certainly do that, but don’t count out the brand’s unassisted efforts. Jump back about a year and to fresh on the serious effort Cons put behind their Weapon silhouette, partially enlisting SGA as they aimed to revitalize the once basketball silhouette as its next “it” shoe in lifestyle.
Cut back to present and it’d appear that initiative is alive and well, as Converse and New Era are joining up for a new take on the Converse Weapon Ox, a lower version of the staple shoe that aligns with retro footwear sensibilities. It’s a subtle switch on this collab, but an impactful one all the same, trotting out the model in suede for the first time, treated with navy uppers and off-white soles underneath for some extra aged punch. To ensure you don’t miss whose stamp helped bring this shoe to life, the New Era logo sits on the heel, tongue, and within a checkered co-branded insole.
At the risk of going “inside baseball,” note that both Converse JP and New Era JP operate as distinct entities from their American counterparts. It’s largely in that overseas realm where the two have forged this deep collaborative partnership. Though there is a chance that this pair gets ported over stateside, it’s equally likely that this remains siloed to the island.
To that end, the New Era x Converse Weapon Ox is set to touch down in Japan on August 22nd JST, coming via both official channels and retail partners like atmos. The latter’s raffle is open now for Japan residents.
