Don’t You Dare Call Converse’s Japanese-Made Dress Shoe a “Sneaker-Loafer”
In collaboration with Japanese manufacturer REGAL Shoe & Co., Converse is making a loafer. And no, not a sneaker-loafer, and not a scrunchy loafer either, but a proper penny loafer as God intended it.
With the brand's signature star charmingly placed between where the straps (or “saddle,” as it's called) would sit, these dressy kicks are far-removed cousins of the lace-up Chucks their mother company’s most commonly known for.
Their buttery cowhide exterior sits atop flexy Vibram soles, for a posh, starry shoe that needn't shy away from a weather- or terrain-set challenge either.
The One Star J Loafer PRM 's design is partly based on Converse's original One Star Loafer, which debuted in the 1990s, now remodeled in REGAL's image.
These leather slip-ons are not to be mixed up with Converse Japan's more recent Trekwave loafers. Because, while the latter may take inspiration from a similar style of shoe, the execution results in a far sportier, trail-readier silhouette, more reminiscent of those HOKA or Nike sneaker hybrids, than any formal footwear.
From October 3 onward, these Made in Japan loafers are yours to keep for ¥63,800, or around and about $430. Cheap? No. Still, these are stars worth reaching for.
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