Converse Revamps Its Century-Old Chucks For The First Time Ever

There’s a new Chuck in town: Converse is unveiling its first redesign of the shoe since, well, ever. On Tuesday, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II will hit stores. The good news? Your kicks will (finally!) be comfortable, thanks to Nike’s Lunarlon lining — hooray for arch support — which shouldn’t come as too much of a shocker, as Nike has owned Converse for a dozen years. Other comfort-skewed tweaks to the sneakers, which were originally designed in 1917, nine years after Converse launched, include foam-padded collars and perforated microsuede liners. The not-so-great news: You’ll shell out $15 to $20 more than you used to for a pair of the classic kicks, which now cost $70 for low-tops and $75 for hi-tops. “The launch of Chuck II is a groundbreaking moment for Converse as we continue to move the brand forward through creativity and innovation, ushering in not just a new sneaker, but a completely new way of thinking,” Jim Calhoun, president and CEO at Converse, said in a statement. The revised Chucks will be available in black, white, red, and blue when they launch next week, and, yes, they’re as versatile as always.