Converse Japan is the latest imprint to delve into the burgeoning sneaker loafer space. The Far East Asian arm of the North American institution recently unveiled the All Star Coupe GB Loafer, a dress shoe-like design rooted in basketball heritage.
If you're not a fan of the mish-mash design language that's crept into the world of athletic footwear, you have to blame the New Balance 1906L, a project spearheaded by Charlotte Lee. But while brands like HOKA and Mizuno have offered some variation of the style, the widespread sentiment is that all have fallen short of Lee and team's effort. Converse could have a hit on its hands with the All Star Coupe GB Loafer, although that's yet to be seen.
Prepped exclusively for the Japanese market, the silhouette is dressier than most of its counterparts. The rubber sole unit harkens back to the One Star Brand's revolutionary tooling, which is already a lot less modern than performance sole units from the 2010s. The iconic license plate appears at the heel, cementing the rework as part of the Chuck Taylor All Star's legacy. Up-top, the sneaker loafer keeps things simple with its full-leather build. Traditional design cues from dress shoes are applied to the model, with tassels and Gucci Horsebit loafer-like gold hardware appearing around the vamp. The shoe's inaugural styles show off golden Converse branding on the footbed, too.
Enjoy official photos of both 'Black' and 'Off-White/Gold' styles ahead. The All Star Coupe GB Loafer is currently set as Coming Soon on the Converse.co.jp website. It's unlikely the silhouette releases across the U.S., unless the brand notices an unparalleled amount of demand from its stateside consumers.
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