Tyler, The Creator Remixes Classic Converse Basketball Shoes

Converse has been on a run lately. Between the two-part UNDEFEATED collaboration honoring the Dodgers and now the Converse 1908 series, the brand is proving it knows exactly which parts of its own history are worth digging back up.

The Converse Pro Leather dropped in 1976 and became Julius "Dr. J" Erving's signature shoe almost overnight. He wore it through his first season with the Philadelphia 76ers, took flight in it at the inaugural slam NBA Slam Dunk Contest, and turned it into what a lot of people consider the sport's first true signature sneaker.

Details on the Converse 1908 Pro Leather. — The Converse 1908 Pro Leather. | Converse

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird kept it relevant through the following decade. For years, it outsold everything else on the market. One era's most influential creative force reaching back to shake hands with another. Now, the brand has teamed up with award-winning artist Tyler, The Creator for his first version of the shoe.

Tyler doesn't play it safe with the reissue either. His 1908 Pro Leather goes low-top and skate-ready, pulling from b-boy style and bootleg culture instead of the hardwood. Wider eyelet rows, thicker laces, an oversized star stamped into the toe cap, and gold foil le FLEUR* branding on the tongues.

It's louder and bigger than the original in every way, which honestly tracks with everything Tyler's built since Goblin. This is a guy with three Grammys now, including the first-ever Best Album Cover win at this year's ceremony, a Brit Award, and a decade and a half of proving he doesn't do anything the expected way. That same instinct shows up in the shoe.

Alongside it, the 1908 Jogger returns in leather for the first time, black and white, trading its usual nylon and suede build for a cleaner, more finished look while keeping the retro foam midsole and sawtooth outsole underneath. If the Pro Leather is the statement piece, the Jogger is the one you'll actually live in.

Details on the Converse 1908 Jogger. — The Converse 1908 Jogger. | Converse

What I love about this drop is that it's not nostalgia for nostalgia's sake. Converse keeps handing its archive to people who understand what they're holding, and Tyler treats a 50-year-old basketball shoe with the same care he'd give one of his own records. That's rare in this business, and it's what separates a collaboration from a moment.

The Converse 1908 Pro Leather ($95) and the Converse 1908 Jogger ($115) launch globally on Thursday, July 16. Online shoppers can buy the highly anticipated sneakers on Converse.com and GOLF le FLEUR*.

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