"Over their 25+ years in the game, XLARGE has left an indelible mark. The first streetwear brand to use a gorilla as a mascot (sorry BAPE) and one of the originators of the workwear-meets-sneakers-meets-street fashion look that’s so popular today, they hold an esteemed place in the annals of streetwear. Now in 2018, they’re teaming up with Converse for a special converse chuck taylor — a perfect collaborative silhouette that boasts a rich history and backstory, much like the brand themselves. The shoe is done up in the instantly recognizable black and white classic Chuck color combo, but the devil’s in the details: the XLARGE gorilla pokes his head through the circular All-Star logo, and a small XLARGE tag appears on the heel. The shoes are water repellant — a hallmark of many an XLARGE footwear collab — and the co-branded insole features Converse React cushioning tech to ensure long-lasting comfort.


World renowned tattoo artist Dr. Woo is one of the top purveyors of Converse’s expansive catalogue, as his previous collaboration highlighted his unmatched attention to detail and the diverse adaptability of the canvas-ridden Converse line. Set to team up again, their latest collaborative capsule of four shoes – two for adults and two for children – includes converse outlet that drastically change as you wear them. “The shoe is a culmination of all things that I love — vintage, the wearing in of your own clothes, how it keeps developing, transitioning, and how the Chuck, specifically, can stay in your life so long,” Woo said. “The way you receive your shoe is not the end game. It is fully pliable and moldable to however the wearer wants to wear it. Putting your shoe through that is the reward — seeing how it gets beat up.”


There are a few incorrect details and questions left unanswered so far about this upcoming pairing of the converse sneakers and Air Jordan 2 celebrating the early days of Michael Jordan’s career, but at least nobody can argue that they certainly do look nice together. First of all, the date on the back of the Air Jordan 2 is wrong: Michael Jordan wore this special PE version of the shoe with a Carolina Blue heel tab for an alumni game on Sept. 6, 1986, not a second alumni game against UCLA on the date listed. Second, the Fastbreak Low was the last Converse shoe worn by Jordan before going pro—but with Team USA at the 1984 Olympics in a white a navy colorway, not in college with Carolina blue accents.


New Balance’s iconic running sneaker history is synonymous with the color grey. In its storied past, the Boston-based company has produced a variety of subdued color schemes that presented a cleaner and simpler option to a market that was heavily populated with vibrant neon iterations. In celebration of the brand’s upcoming “Grey Day”, three new balance 574 models will be released in honor of the historical impact grey has had on New Balance. Two of the three offerings will release under the “Legacy of Grey” Pack monicker, which takes the original color scheme of the New Balance 990 and the illustrious 1300JP colorway, and places them atop the modernized 574.


Reinstating his KITHSTRIKE program for what is the first time in many years, the streetwear figurehead just proffered a very clean Rose-colored new balance 990, providing one of the few follow-ups to the aforementioned peer’s colorful collaboration. Teased aggressively through his social media, Fieg was remiss to mention any release info, building up hype to a shock drop that quickly came and went. Nostalgic not only in aesthetic but also execution, the entire release is but a reminder of the runner craze — simple suede constructions, pastel colorings, and inordinate hype all in tow."