Converse is expanding its Renew Denim collection, introduced in August 2019, to create the Chuck 70 from pre-loved jeans. This latest installment dubbed Renew Tri Panel Denim uses three distinct upcycled denim washes — dark blue, light blue and black — to produce a fresh take on the original 1970s shoe.
Here’s how it works:
- UK-based sustainable fashion brand and vintage retailer Beyond Retro sorts more than a million pair of denim a month. The Converse Renew Tri Panel Denim selection is curated according to three distinct washes — dark blue, light blue and black — then the perfect pre-loved jeans are hand-selected to become part of the renewed collection.
- The three denim washes are butterfly-cut, then individual Chuck upper panels are die-cut out of each wash. Effectively, each denim wash becomes one puzzle piece in constructing the iconic Chuck upper. The dark wash creates the medial panel, the light wash goes to the Chuck 70 tongue and the black denim makes up the lateral panel.
- The result is a one-of-a-kind Converse Renew Denim Tri Panel Chuck 70 that’s ready for a new life.
The upcycled denim upper is lightweight and durable, while the shoe’s upper lining and laces are made from recycled polyester. The distinctive speckled rubber outsole provides added traction.
With premium materials, deliberate nuance and an extraordinary attention to detail, the shoe is at once familiar and new.
The Converse Renew Tri Panel Denim Chuck 70 releases on September 27 in China and October 3 in North America at converse.com.