Converse does two things right — it knows how to keep a classic alive, and it knows how to reinvent it, too. Now, the footwear giant has unveiled its Fall 2021 “CX Collection,” comprising the Weapon CX, Run Star Motion, Aeon Active CX, and the Chuck Tayler All Star CX.The CX line is all about proactively listening and responding to consumers of the Converse brand. As Brandis Russell, VP of Footwear Development and Merchandising says, “The original intent of CX was to create an innovation suite that answered for what we were hearing from people about Converse: They loved our brand and product, but they thought we were lacking in comfort. It was a motivator to answer the call. And it’s allowed us to now push even further on a more forward-leaning aesthetic. When you create products that have that amazing mix of functionality and emotionality, and there’s a reason behind it, you organically get to this fresh design language.”Rightly so, there’s a fresh design language indeed. Kicking things off with the Weapon CX, Converse takes the antiquated basketball silhouette (famously worn by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird) and crafts it entirely from supple leather, coupling it with a new, technical sole unit. Familiar design elements, such as the One Star logo and lots of perforations, frequently appear throughout the shoe. On this pair, Russell adds, “With the Weapon, the teams pushed on proportion. They’ve created a different stance. They’re using a totally new last. The toe down is different. There’s definitely something that is familiar in the legacy of this shoe, but it is progressive, different, bolder.”Next up is the Run Star Motion, which follows on from the JW Anderson-designed Run Star Hike and the in-line shoes that then came after it. Here, the already comfortable Run Star Hike has become the Run Star Motion, with its sole unit gaining even more chunkiness. There’s a new wave design that makes the midsole come way up into the uppers, while the grooved outsole has been redesigned to be at one with the midsole.Another legacy pair that’s been redefined is the Chuck Tayler All Star CX, which although appears like a more technical version of a standard Chuck is actually much more than that. Served up in black canvas, we find a black semi-transparent sole unit, new comfort inside the sole, a comfortable tongue, and a pull tab at the rear for better accessibility.Rounding out the quartet is the Aeon Active CX. The pair you see above is the Converse in-line pair that’s set to drop in 2022, but in fact it’s due to drop much sooner in the form of a collaboration with A-COLD-WALL*’s Samuel Ross. There have been four options teased by Ross on his Instagram account, showcasing the technical runner in a more deconstructed aesthetic than the main Converse-designed offering.Take a look at the Converse Fall 2021 “CX Collection” above. The Run Star Motion will drop on June 16 at select retailers worldwide and on Converse’s website, while the Chuck Taylor All Star CX and Weapon CX will launch later this fall.For more daring footwear, check out the Kiko Kostadinov Studio-designed ASICS FB1-S GEL-PRELEUS.Click here to view full gallery at HYPEBEAST
