Rick Owens DRKSHDW Revisits the Converse Chuck Taylor for DRKSTAR Collaboration

Rick Owens must really like Converse because he’s dropping his third collaborative silhouette — following a previous Chuck Taylor and Weapon — with the Nike-owned label this year alone. Owens’ Chuck Taylor DRKSTAR has all the tenets of the Paris-based designer’s previous sneakers, but it’s perhaps the most accessible of the lot.

Retaining the tall tongue and beefed up sole from Owens’ previous Converse drops, Owens’ DRKSTAR is still pretty tough even as a low-top. As usual, the DRKSTAR is offered in monochrome shades of 18 oz canvas for maximum heft and it’s printed with DRKSHDW branding to reiterate its place amidst Owens’ other diffusion line.

Unlike Owens’ Veja collaborations, though, his revamped Converses are an interesting stylistic crossover with Owens’ own footwear designs. Specifically, his Ramones sneakers are directly inspired by the beat-up Chucks worn by the legendary New York punk band, though they’re far meatier than a typical Chuck Taylor.

The first pair of Chuck Taylors that Owens dropped this past summer squared off the toebox to further distinguish them from his in-line silhouettes; the DRKSTAR makes no such distinction with its rounded front end.

Not that anyone would necessarily confuse the two, of course, but it just goes to show how naturally Owens incorporates these partnerships into his inimitable worldview.

The Converse x DRK SHDW launched exclusively online at www.converse.co.za, from Tuesday, 16 November 2021.

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