Converse’s Iconic ’70s Sneaker Gets a Playful Redux for a New Era

Partnering with Tyler, the Creator’s Golf le Fleur label for this exaggerated take on the legendary basketball shoe.

Pair of green and white Converse Pro Leather sneakers with lavender laces on a purple background.

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Before Nike, Adidas and Reebok dominated NBA footwear in the ‘80s and ‘90s, there was one company that ruled them all: Converse.

From the league’s inception in 1946 into the ‘80s, the footwear brand was all but ubiquitous among players. Nevertheless, one silhouette in particular stands out among the pack in terms of how it impacted the industry.

Pair of green Converse Pro Leather sneakers with beige toe caps and thick lavender laces on a beige background. — Converse continues its partnership with Tyler, the Creator’s Golf le Fleur label for a lifestyle iteration of the legendary 1976 Pro Leather.

Now, Converse teams up with rapper Tyler, the Creator’s Golf le Fleur brand for a new take on that very shoe, but nearly leaves its court provenance in the rearview.

The Doctor is in

Born in 1976, the Pro Leather became one of the most important sneakers ever made. It was Converse’s first truly modern basketball shoe and pushed the category away from canvas uppers into leather construction.

Green suede Converse sneakers with cream rubber toe caps and lavender laces. — Revised elements on the 1908 Pro Leather include a fatter toe box, wider laces and vintage-inspired yellowed elements.

The silhouette was a successor to the Leather All Star, which was simply a leather-wrapped take on the age-old Chuck Taylor. The Pro Leather was a new direction entirely.

Its sturdier cupsole construction, improved lateral stability and updated design (among the first to feature the brand’s Star Chevron emblem) caught the attention of Julius “Dr. J” Irving, one of the biggest stars of the era. The connection to the athlete catapulted the Pro Leather’s popularity into the stratosphere, even influencing designs by companies that would later dominate the industry.

The original Pro Leather was Dr. J’s chosen basketball sneaker, but this new model takes cues from “b-boy style and bootleg culture.”

Converse

Fat chance

With the brand-new 1908 Pro Leather, Converse has eschewed its progenitor’s basketball lineage in favor of life off the court. According to the product description, the new sneaker takes “cues from b-boy style and bootleg culture.”

The green suede colorway looks like it came straight out of the ’70s or ’80s.

Converse

Taking its name from Converse’s inaugural year, the 1908 makes some substantial changes from its predecessor. For starters, the overall proportions are exaggerated with a wider toe box, fatter laces and slightly enlarged vintage details. Also, the heel cap is more pronounced and the toe box features the star logo embossed on top.

At first glance, it appears the silhouette is a vintage example of the original ‘70s shoe. Against the suede upper, the toe box and midsole are yellowed to look vintage. Meanwhile, the kelly green color scheme looks like it could’ve come straight out of that era. It arrives with baby blue laces, although yellow and white options are also available.

White leather sneaker with green suede star and heel tab, beige sole, and beige toe cap. — A mostly-white variant joins the pack as well, with similar vintage touches.

Alongside the green variant, Converse is also releasing a mostly-white colorway with green accents.

Availability and pricing

Priced at just $95, the 1908 Pro Leather lands in both colorways July 16 at 10 a.m. ET from Nike’s SNKRS app.

Converse

Converse 1908 Pro Leather

$95 at Nike

About the Author: Ethan Brehm is an associate editor at Gear Patrol writing about footwear, watches, spirits, EDC and more. When he’s not shopping for his next G-Shock, he spends his time watching movies and planning a future road trip with his family. He firmly believes CDs sound better than vinyl.

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