Sneaker of the week: Converse takes the Chuck 70 somewhere unexpected

This month belongs to the women sneakerheads, and Converse has given us a Chuck 70 that is less interested in playing nice than it is in sharpening up your rotation. 

What makes this week’s sneaker interesting is that it is barely a sneaker. The Chuck 70 De Luxe Pointed Platform is essentially Converse’s answer to the question: what happens if you take a Chuck, give it the attitude of a pointed boot and refuse to explain yourself?

Quite a lot, actually.

The silhouette still has the Chuck 70’s familiar high-top construction and ankle patch, but the toe has been pulled into a sharp point, the platform has been given some serious heft and the upper is finished in woven leather (if you stray from the canvas style), changing the entire mood. Where a classic canvas Chuck tends to read casual by default, this one has enough polish to sit comfortably alongside the shoes you would normally reserve for an edgier outfit.

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This is why it looks set to be a great outfit companion when styled with wide, flared pants, knit dresses and miniskirts paired with hosiery. The woven leather has enough texture to make a simple outfit feel deliberate, but it is not so loud that you have to build the entire look around it (unless that’s your goal).

Think of it as the statement shoe for people who are bored of statement shoes that try too hard to be “offbeat”.

And while we are talking about women sneakerheads this month, this is exactly the sort of curveball worth having in the rotation. There is a tendency to treat a sneaker collection as a catalogue of icons, colourways and increasingly obscure collaborations, but personal style gets more interesting when you start asking what else a sneaker can be. Converse has taken one of its most recognisable designs somewhere decidedly less sporty, and the result is a shoe that can move between sneaker, boot and fashion object without settling comfortably into any one category.

Call it a sneaker if you must. We’re calling it a boot with a very good backstory.

Price + availability:  

Currently R1300 (canvas) to R2400 (leather) at Converse South Africa

This article was not sponsored and contains no affiliate links. All opinions expressed are those of the editorial team.