With the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Crater, Converse’s 100-plus-year-old classic, firmly evolves in the pursuit of sustainability. Its design draws from Nike’s pioneering Space Hippie efforts, but does so with a unique constraint: preserve the DNA of the world’s most iconic sneaker.

Translating the Space Hippie design ethos to the silhouette required overcoming three key challenges: Applying Crater Foam to a Chuck shape, identifying a viable upper materials and radically rethinking the use of reinforcer materials.

More than 100 people collaborated to meet these challenges. Using in-situ design principles, their output included figuring out how Crater Foam, which expands differently than typical footwear foams, could be molded appropriately to meet Chuck specs. Converse also developed unique uppers that employ Morphlon blends, which feature recycled polyester and recycled post-industrial textile waste scraps and lend an emotional pull-through to traditional Chuck uppers. By reconceptualizing components fundamental to the construction of all Chucks, the Chuck Taylor All Star Crater also achieves an additive design language (note the new eyerow) with less material, and created a new lacing system as a byproduct.

The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Crater is part of NIKE, Inc.’s Move to Zero journey toward zero carbon and zero waste. In turning trash into a beautiful new articulation of the Chuck Taylor All Star, Converse achieves at least 40 percent recycled content by total weight marker, making it one of Converse’s most sustainable sneakers to date. The aesthetic, in all its perfectly-imperfect glory, also forms the basis for future Converse Renew collections, which will draft off of select materials.

Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Crater Release Date

Look for the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Crater to release on July 23rd at select retailers and Converse.com.