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From the perspective of what people actually wore, the Play Comme des Garçons x Converse Chuck Taylor All Star and Chuck 70 were among the biggest sneakers of the 2010s.
For each season since the collaboration began in 2009, the two collaborators have restocked at least one version of the sneaker each season while occasionally bringing slight alterations to the design such as a different canvas base or heart logo placement. Midway through the decade, the shoes became available to purchase online for the first time — removing the last barrier of exclusivity.
Such widespread availability is still a novelty within the landscape of one time, limited-edition releases. The versatility that have made Chucks popular for decades have then made Play’s takes on the silhouettes as easy to wear as they are to acquire.
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For a not insignificant part of the previous decade, you could set a timer in a populated area and not reach anywhere near the hour mark before you’d see a pair. And although they’re not as popular now — falling victim to oversaturation and mockery/meme-ry from tastemakers who decry them as basic — the Chucks with the hearts on them are still fairly ubiquitous.
Whatever your view on the Play Comme des Garçons x Converse kicks is today, there’s no denying their significance within sneaker history. Here, we take a deeper look into the history of the collaboration.
A Brief Summary of the Chuck’s Long Reign
Having debuted in 1917 as a basketball sneaker, the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star has hardly changed throughout its century-plus on the market.
Actually, for the first 17 years, the sneaker was known simply as the All Star. In 1922, semi-professional basketball player and Converse employee Charles Hollis Taylor asked for alterations to make the shoe more supportive and flexible. And in 1934, his name was added to the shoe, where it’s remained ever since.
Perhaps even more astonishing than the fact that people have worn Chucks for so long is that the sneakers were worn in the NBA until the ’70s. The Chuck 70, which returned to the market in its current form in 2013, harkens back the last days of the shoe’s reign in performance basketball.
The primary difference between the Chuck 70 and the Chuck Taylor All Star is that the former boasts a taller foxing, a thicker midsole, and a sole made entirely of rubber instead of composite. The Chuck 70 also takes on an off-white varnish to evoke a sense of vintage, as well as an extra layer of canvas for better durability.
When Comme des Garçons Began to Play
Play Comme des Garçons launched in 2002 as the most accessible entry point to the Comme universe. Now serving as the most widely recognizable signifier of Comme des Garçons, the Play heart logo was designed by Polish artist Filip Pagowski.
Having had a relationship with Comme des Garçons designer and founder Rei Kawakubo since the late-’80s, Pagowski originally submitted his drawing of the cartoonish heart with big eyes for another Comme project. Nothing materialized of it, but the little fella then resurfaced as the face of the sublabel.
The mark appears on a range of basics such as T-shirts and hoodies, and although by no means cheap, the streetwear staples are still significantly more affordable than anything else you’d find from a CdG brand. Play’s designs are also consistently simple and more easily approachable than the avant-garde pieces signature to Comme and its many other sublabels.
“It was a collection created by not designing,” Comme des Garçons president Adrian Joffe said of Play in a 2011 interview with Hypebeast. “It was the antithesis of design, based on prototypical forms.”
Converse and Play Comme des Garçons Come Together
Converse and Play Comme des Garćons began collaborating with each other in 2009 with the launch of their first Chuck Taylor All Stars. The initial offering consisted of high- and low-top versions of the sneaker available in either black or natural canvas. The Play logo sits on the shoe’s lateral side, while the Converse branding appears tonally on the medial, all but disappearing on the black pairs.
The OG design was a seasonal release until 2015, when the two collaborators brought the Chuck 70 into the fold. Various iterations of Chucks have since followed, some with slight deviations and others with none at all. Among the variants have been polka dot canvas, an oversized logo, repeating logos, a canvas base in bolder colors such as lime green and baby blue, and so on. Perhaps the most dramatic change of came in 2022, when candy apple red sole units arrived glistening.
The Pro Leather was the first non-Chuck to come into the fold with its introduction to the Play collection in 2013. A long gap would separate it with the next, with the Jack Purcell joining in 2021, followed by the One Star a year later.
Stepping back a few years, another benchmark came with Converse x Play Comme des Garçons sneakers going on sale online for the first time in 2018. Prior to that, the only way to get a pair was by going to select Comme des Garçons stores or Dover Street Market, which are owned and operated by Comme.
Shop Converse x Play Comme des Garçons Sneakers
Converse x Comme des Garçons PLAY Chuck 70
Converse x Comme des Garçons PLAY Chuck 70
Comme des Garçons x Converse Gender Inclusive Chuck Taylor® Hidden Heart High Top Sneaker
Comme des Garçons x Converse Gender Inclusive Chuck Taylor® Hidden Heart High Top Sneaker
Comme des Garçons x Converse Red Sole Canvas Low-Top Sneakers
Comme des Garçons x Converse Red Sole Canvas Low-Top Sneakers
About the Author:
Ian Servantes is a Senior Trending News Editor for Footwear News specializing in sneaker coverage. He’s previously reported on streetwear and sneakers at Input and Highsnobiety after beginning his career on the pop culture beat. He subscribes to the idea that “ball is life” and doesn’t fuss over his kicks getting dirty.
