Given fashion’s ongoing love affair with the ’90s, it’s perhaps a surprise that it’s taken this long for Converse – a staple of the era – to enjoy a comeback. A favourite of the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Winona Ryder and Drew Barrymore, black Chuck Taylor All Star trainers represented a kind of effortless cool that’s easy to recreate, even today.
Indeed, while Converse may be most closely associated with the grunge aesthetic, this trainer’s endurance is undoubtedly down to its versatility: Chuck Taylors can add an edge to a pair of straight-leg jeans and leather jacket, or to a boho lace dress. Or you can lean into the preppy, collegiate vibe – after all, what’s more all American than a pair of Chuck Taylors?
In fact, a revival has been bubbling under the surface for several years now: Kaia Gerber has been committed to her £50 Converse hi-tops since at least 2020. Meanwhile, the likes of Kendall Jenner, Dakota Johnson and Olivia Rodrigo are also fans, making the shoe a cornerstone of the off-duty celebrity wardrobe once again, more than 30 years after they first earned their cult status.
Another sure sign of Converse’s comeback? Its recent collaboration with Billie Eilish, and campaign starring Charli xcx – two pop stars of the moment whose co-sign only confirms how the brand has regained its cool.
Below, see three ways to style your Converse hi-tops this spring.
White T-shirt + straight-leg jeans
Edward Berthelot
Oversized leather bomber + sweatshirt
Jeremy Moeller/Getty Images
White lace dress
Edward Berthelot/Getty Images.
