Future Familiar: Converse’s Weapon CX is a Nostalgia Bomb Ready to Explode
Icons of the sneaker world, continue to push the envelope with their game-changing , taking comfort benefits, ease of wear, and a progressive design to a new frontier in 2021. After applying the ‘CX Toolkit’ to the and the , the brand are now turning their attention to the hardwood.
Driven by nostalgia, Converse rewind back to a time before basketball entered the cultural zeitgeist – the 80s – the decade where the game came into its own. Digging into the archives of the Converse Biomechanics Lab, the brand have re-imagined one of the most legendary court sneakers of all time: the .
Futuristic, yet familiar, the all-new Weapon CX is armed and ready for an all-out assault on the sneakersphere!
The history of the Weapon is stuff of legend, driving one of the most iconic rivalries the NBA has ever seen. Famously worn by all-time greats Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, the high-cut baller armed the feet of the illustrious duo, fuelling the fiery competition between the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers during the 1980s.
Originally launched out of the aforementioned Converse Biomechanics Lab in 1986, the Weapon was at the forefront of sneaker technology, designed to deliver on-court comfort, performance, stability and, eventually, a long-lasting legacy within basketball culture. In fact, Converse were the first brand to bring a scientific approach to the court, with the release of the StarTech the year prior. However, it was this not-so-secret Weapon which really put the brand on the map a year later.
Powered by the ‘Choose Your Weapon’ campaign starring Bird and Magic, the sneaker championed innovation, but also a bold aesthetic, which has since gone on to define basketball sneakers of the era.
And now it’s back… but not as you remember it.
For 2021, Converse inject the iconic sneaker with a little CX factor, unveiling a revamped, lightweight silhouette with comfort and classic court style at its core. Sure, it’s a modern take on the original 86 tour de force, but a look under the hood will reveal much more than that.
The redesign is made possible through a perfect pairing of a CX foam midsole and sockliner, as well as a newly-engineered outsole designed to help support every stride. It’s certainly a technical upgrade on the OG, however, the bold new look ensures it’ll be a starter on the street, not just the hardwood.
Entering the Weapon into a new age of modernity, the design team took an ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ approach, embracing the philosophy of ‘Future Familiar’, which translates analogue functionality into original design concepts.
A nod to the OG, the upper retains its recognisable, iconic details like the Y-bar around the ankle for stability, and the Star Chevron logo materialised in leather and foam for 360-degree comfort. Meanwhile, the new CX-infused midsole and outsole design improves durability, and gives the overall package a more contemporary stance and proportion.
Striking the balance between respect for the past and future-forward technology isn’t easy, but the bold and unapologetic Weapon CX is further proof of Converse’s innovative prowess. Target acquired!
Out now, the Weapon CX is available in three classy colourways via .