The Converse Shai Weapon Throws Down an Old School Slam
The is a certified superstar of 1980s hoops. Coming of age in the era of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, who both won championships donning the silhouette, the old school veteran has found itself back in Converse’s starting line-up in recent years.
Brodrick Foster, Converse’s senior director of product merch sports style spoke on recreating the Weapon, and bringing it back into the rotation of many across the globe: ‘We wanted this to be the most accurate iteration of the Converse Weapon, so we went deep into our archives and looked at all of the versions we had, including those specific to players. The team obsessed every detail – the last, the tooling, the shape, the toe down – so we could get it right for today. The aesthetic of the shoe is true to the OG, but the materials have been modernised for today’s consumer.’
The Weapon is now set to score a bucketload of style points with the upcoming collaboration, as the OKC sharpshooter and ‘fit factory is linking up with Converse for a vintage colourway that pays homage to the model’s hallowed hardwood roots. Dubbed the Shai Weapon, the collaboration aims to evoke the look of a pair you might discover at a local thrift shop or garage sale. The yellowed outsole has a distressed, aged appearance, while the premium white leather uppers feature synthetic leather crackle print underlays as if they've been putting up buckets for decades. This nod to the Weapon’s vintage credentials is complemented by contemporary colour application and modern hardware from the Converse locker room, including the patented CX Foam cushioning system.
Back in the limelight thanks to rim-rattling collaborations from the likes of , and the latest assists from SGA might be the most explosive Weapon to date. 'The Converse Weapon is rooted in style, so who better than the most stylish man on the planet, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to reintroduce the silhouette to the world?' says Foster.
The Converse Shai Weapon will be available beginning August 15 in a limited global release at and select retail partners. In more good news for SGA fans, the Olympian is set to begin his role as a creative director of Converse Basketball effective September 2024.