Following last week’s ‘We Are Not Alone’ campaign, Converse is back for a fresh take on all things denim with the release of the Converse Renew Denim collection. When discussing your favourite go-to outfit, there’s a high probability that you’ll find worn-in denim jeans coupled with your favourite pair of worn-in Converse sneakers. The Converse Renew Denim collection is a tribute to this exact combination.
What began as a passion project, whereby employees explored the use of reclaimed materials as a signature canvas upper on their Chucks, the strategy to upcycle worn denim jeans were born. As such, the silhouette was meant to resemble something within your personal closet, while also providing elements of self-expression. Knowing that denim is one of the most common materials thrown away, ending up in landfills around the world, Converse’s process to upcycle these jeans allows for any single source of upcycled textile to be crafted onto the upper of Chuck 70 high top or Ox. Converse has joined forces with UK-based sustainable fashion brand and vintage retailer, Beyond Retro, from which it sources tens of thousands of jeans. The denim is then sorted into three main colour groups, light, medium and dark.
Each silhouette is crafted from the classic “butterfly cut” to create the Chuck 70 shoe panels. The added benefit here is that denim is uniquely durable, providing consistency in aesthetic and feel. As a result, a single pair of denim jeans makes for a single pair of Chuck 70 sneakers. Added to the denim upper, the design is completed with a lightweight and durable rubber outsole.
The Converse Renew Denim collection is available at Converse Sandton City, Converse Menlyn as well as Converse Gateway stores. The Chuck 70 sneakers epitomise the concept of worn, loved and repurposed, and are available in three washes (light, medium and dark) and retail from R1,199.95.
