Nike and Converse Begin Vaquera Partnership with Two Bold Expressions of the Chuck Taylor All Star

Nike and Converse are partnering with Vaquera to reinterpret a selection of the brands’ sportswear silhouettes, starting with two bold expressions of the iconic Converse Chuck Taylor All Star: the XXXHi Slouch Wedge and XHi Slouch Wedge. 

The collaboration highlights materiality and construction, merging Converse’s classic design language with the subversive, narrative-driven approach central to each piece from the Paris-based fashion label, which is known for an irreverent, do-it-yourself sensibility that balances playfulness and social commentary.

“We love to take something well-known like the Chuck and make it feel new,” says Bryn Taubensee, co-founder, Vaquera. “We kept a lot of the iconic elements of the Chuck but removed the laces and supersized the upper. The effect is something familiar while at the same time unknown and exciting.”

Unveiled during Vaquera’s fall 2025 ready-to-wear presentation, both Converse x Vaquera silhouettes transform the Chuck into a slouched, textile-heavy expression with hidden wedge soles. Each style is designed to exaggerate proportion and movement, with the XXXHi extending above the knee and the XHi falling just below. 

Wrapped in synthetic waxed canvas that softens and patinas with wear, both silhouettes reimagine Converse’s signature details — such as the patch, pinstripes and canvas — through Vaquera’s experimental lens.

The release is also the first in a broader collaboration between NIKE, Inc. and Vaquera that includes an upcoming reinterpretation of the Nike Air Max Dn8, the brand’s latest advancement in Dynamic Air technology.

“Romance is a major brand code at Vaquera,” says Patric DiCaprio, co-founder, Vaquera. “We covered the Dn8 with kiss marks. The effect is something playful and romantic while maintaining Nike’s high standard of functionality.”

Both collaborations reflect Vaquera’s dedication to blurring the line between homage and parody, satire and sincerity through what Bryn and Patric describe as “fashion fan fiction.”

From viral pillow dresses to support from Dover Street Market’s brand development arm in Paris, Vaquera has evolved from a series of blog-era experiments into a cult fixture on the Paris Fashion Week calendar. Balancing playfulness with social commentary, the brand thrives on contradiction, carving out a space where fashion becomes both a critique of itself and a celebration of its possibilities.

The Converse x Vaquera footwear will release globally November 8 at vaquera.nyc and Dover Street Market, followed by a wider launch November 11 at converse.com, SNKRS and select retailers. The Nike x Vaquera Air Max Dn8 will launch in December.