Brand: Converse Japan, Richardson

Model: Chuck Taylor All Star Addict and Jack Purcell Addict

Season: Fall/Winter 2021

Buy: In-store and online at select Japanese stockists, including BEAMS and Richardson Tokyo

Editor's Notes: As timeless as they are, Chucks are so passé. Okay, Chucks will never be out of style, but they definitely pale in comparison to Converse Japan's mighty Addict line, a premium Converse series as high-end as anything offered by boutique sneaker operations.

For those unaware, Converse Japan is distinct from Converse America, which is owned by Nike. Converse Japan took shape in '80s, when then-struggling Converse sold its exclusive Japanese license to a wealthy conglomerate (The North Face Japan, owned by Goldwin, has a similar backstory), which has retained the exclusive Japanese distribution rights to this day.

Converse Japan is far more experimental than Nike-owned Converse, experimenting with themes and historic sneaker models quite often. It launched Addict in 2008 as its top-of-the-line offering.

Each pair of Addicts is several times nicer than your typical Chuck, or even a Chuck 70. To start, there's a tough Vibram sole unit built into each shoe, premium fabrication utilized for the upper, removable cushioned insoles, high-end metal aglets, reinforced rubber midsoles, and much more. Addicts are also sold only twice a year in highly limited drops of very specific product.

Fall/Winter 2021, or Holiday 2021 as it's called, sees Converse Addict dropping three styles of Chuck and Jack Purcell. There's a black stars-and-stripes high-top, a lush white leather low, and a Purcell collaboration with Richardson, which includes medial side and tongue tag branding, plus GORE-TEX lining to take the shoes to the next level.

They're also more expensive — Addicts can retail for $150 - $250, depending — but that's the price you pay for quality.

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