Comme des Garçons teams up with Converse to revamp a retro sneaker silhouette

Comme des Garçons Play and Converse are longstanding collaborators, perhaps best known for their Chuck 70 silhouettes featuring CDG Play’s signature heart motif. Now, as part of Converse’s All-Star lineup, the two brands are reconnecting for a new iteration of the Jack Purcell sneaker, making this the first time they revisit the silhouette in a decade.

While CDG Play’s heart logo is as recognizable as Nike’s Swoosh, past collaborations have seemingly worn out the motif, stamping it on tees, hoodies, cardigans, and shoes. A peek at the brand’s upcoming Converse collaboration shows the wide-eyed graphic will continue to reign over designs, leaving consumers questioning what’s new. Is Comme des Garçons only catering to hypebeasts and logo lovers at this point, or will the addition of the Jack Purcell silhouette be enough to keep shoppers intrigued?

Heart eyes — Like the CDG Chuck 70 sneakers, these kicks keep their color scheme neutral. Gray canvas makes up the upper, contrasting white laces, midsoles, and toe boxes. Rather than placing CDG Play’s heart logo at the center of the profile like previous iterations, though, it looks like Comme des Garçons decided to rethink its placement. Adjusting to the Jack Purcell silhouette, the heart print partially covers the heel and side, ending abruptly at its halfway point due to the midsole. Depending on which shoe you decide on, the hearts come dressed in black or classic red hues.

A rubber white midsole wraps around the entire shoe, boasting red or black stripes to coordinate with the sneaker’s heart logo. Outsoles remain white for an overall clean look, while inside the shoe, branding marks the insole. Both the Converse and Comme des Garçons Play logo appear alongside, of course, another heart motif.

Basic or boring? — The two brands have been collaborating for years, but their new sneakers suggest the duo have run out of ideas. We’ve got nothing against Comme des Garçons’ heart graphic or Converse’s simple style — but there are plenty of past options to choose from, many of which boast designs not so different from this new pair.

If you’re feeling the new Jack Purcell silhouette, however, you can actually cop the sneaker this week. The Comme des Garçons Play x Converse sneakers are set to release globally on April 1 — no joke — via Dover Street Market and Converse. With a retail price of $140, the low-top shoes are reasonably priced, and will only grow in value on resale markets. Whether you’re into the design or look at it as more of the same, there’s no denying Converse and Comme des Garçons’ footwear have become streetwear classics.