Conventional wisdom says that you don't mess with something that works, particularly something as widely loved as the Chuck Taylor. But Converse has had some good luck recently mixing things up with its most iconic model. In the span of just a couple years the Chuck Taylor All Star II has become almost as common among street style aficionados as the original. Now the brand is in the process of pushing things even further with the new Chuck Modern collection.
The Chuck Modern takes a few more chances than the Chuck II, streamlining the silhouette by ditching the metal grommets and rubber toe cap and, most crucially, putting the whole thing on top of a funky, slightly bubbly Phylon bottom. It looks like the original Chuck Taylor thrown a hundred years into the future, which it pretty much is (the OG Chuck debuted in 1917).
As far as rebooting a flagship product goes, the Chuck Modern is way more Dodge Challenger than New Coke. The changes are kind of radical, but it still reads essentially as a Chuck Taylor, and can easily be swapped in to replace the original in any Chuck-friendly outfit. And for anyone who's spent a day on their feet in a pair of Chucks, taking a stroll on the light and pillowy Phylon sole will have you wondering how you spent so long walking around on pre-war sneaker technology.
Converse seems to know it has a winner in the Chuck Modern, and it's responding appropriately by hitting the market with a number of variations, including the Modern Colors collection in tonal mesh, the star-spangled East Vs. West, and the dressed-up leather Modern Lux, which can take the classic Chucks-and-a-suit look to a whole new level.
Today, Converse is announcing the Chuck Modern Future Canvas, which puts a modern-day twist on the sneaker's traditional upper. This is indeed canvas, but it's easy to mistake for microsuede thanks to the peached finish that's been applied to the fabric. Converse promises that the material can take on any color and design that's ever been used on the original Chuck, but for the time being the company is only releasing it as a parchment high top and a black oxford, either of which will slide smoothly into the wardrobe of anyone affecting a riff on the Scandinavian-minimalist look. (And, honestly, pretty much everyone else.)
The Chuck Modern Future Canvas collection officially drops tomorrow in Converse retail stores and on converse.com.
