For over 100 years, the Chuck Taylor All Star has been a staple pair of every wearer for every occasion – and for a pretty good reason. It is because Converse prides itself on constantly rethinking and reinventing its offerings to meet the needs and desires of its diverse patrons.
First established as a basketball shoe, “Chucks”, as fondly referred to by Filipinos, was an evolving piece of equipment for more than three decades. Athletes were able to perform at the highest level by maximizing their sneaker’s innovations such as multi-textured toe bumper, ankle patch and peg topupper (which prevented chaffing on the Achilles tendon).
It was then reintroduced as a lifestyle shoe and primarily sought to serve as a conduit for the seamless movement and individual expression of its wearer. This was made possible as the Chuck Taylor All Star 2.0 maintained the integrity of its core design while the canvas became a natural starting point for ongoing fabric and construction experiments.
As Converse stays true to its persona as a pioneer in the sneaker industry, the Renew Initiative takes on the challenge of and finds solutions for new product creation using post-consumer and post-industrial waste – starting with none other than the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star. This innovative new strategy matches inventive manufacture methods and material development with a singular aim: developing novel and more sustainable ways of crafting Converse icons.
Using the Chuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 as the litmus test for its cutting-edge project, the Renew Initiative has adopted three processes – recycled PET, upcycled textiles, and recycled cotton canvas – to turn tons of waste into meaningful stylish pairs of Converse sneakers. These are:
Converse Renew Canvas: the same feel and look as traditional Converse canvas, except now made from 100% recycled polyester that came from used plastic bottles.
Converse Renew Denim: denim jeans that were sourced from landfill are then processed via an in-house upcycling method; this serves as an inaugural testament to Converse’s capacity to transform single-source upcycled textiles into a Chuck Taylor All Star or Chuck 70.
Converse Renew Cotton: cotton canvas waste from the manufacturing process is processed to produce a composite 40% recycled cotton with polyester to form a new yarn. (In future seasons, additional recycled blends will be explored.)
Converse Renew Canvas will be appearing in stores globally from July 5, while the Converse Renew Denim will debut in August. Converse Renew Cotton will follow in 2020 along with new materials and concepts created by Converse’s new upcycled textile capabilities. You can cop the Renew Canvas versions of the Chuck Taylor All Star for PhP3390 and the Chuck 70 starting from PhP4190 at Converse Glorietta, Commonwealth, and Case Study Atelier.
As Converse takes the lead in steering the sneaker industry towards a sustainable future, casual and avid wearers are enjoined to partake in this ground-breaking undertaking. Believe us when we say that the Renew Initiative is the ideal place to start. And we assure you, as Converse turns discarded materials into the world’s most iconic and loved sneaker, it’ll still be your favorite footwear — whether fresh from the box or worn into perfection.