The Decade's Most Influential Sneaker was the Comme des Garçons Play x Converse Chuck Taylor

How did a plain canvas sneaker with a red heart on the side become the most influential sneaker of the 2010–19 decade? Play, a diffusion line within Rei Kawakubo’s fashion-forward empire, first collaborated with  on the Chuck Taylor All Star in 2009, introducing a new generation to the weird and wonderful world of sneakers.

Like Darwin’s concept of evolution, style is a result of safety in numbers. In 10 years, it appeared everyone from impressionable teens to Instagram influencers to cool mums had their hearts stolen by the Comme Chucks. At some point, mainstream sneaker style is going to change. But for now, and the past decade, the quietly-dominating partnership between Comme des Garçons Play and Converse has proved to be a survival of the fittest.

All images by Nike/Converse/Comme des Garçons.