Denim Tears and Converse Collaborate on the Chuck 70 and a Plan to Get the Black Community Voting

Peter Verry
·2 min read

Although eye-catching, there’s more to the upcoming Denim Tears collaboration with Converse Chuck 70 than aesthetic appeal.

Before month’s end, an iteration of the Chuck 70 created by the Tremaine Emory-helmed label will hit stores, delivered with uppers featuring an interpretation of the red, black and green African American flag.

“Tremaine Emory exemplifies the power of using your voice to create positive social change,” Converse VP of global footwear Brandis Russell said in a statement. “We hope that the application of the African American flag to our iconic Chuck will encourage dialogue on the Black American experience today and help ignite the change we want to see for a more equitable future.”

For this collaboration, Converse explained Emory took into account the historical uses of the Pan-African colors and the flag to address the depth of its meanings.

“My favorite All Star is the red, white and blue one,” Emory said in a statement. “Applying the red, black and green puts the Black gaze on that version, making something just as cool — but allowing more people to see themselves in it. It’s about creating a metaphor for Black people having a part in this country that they built.”

The Denim Tears x Converse Chuck 70 arrives Oct. 22 exclusively via Denimtears.com. A global release is scheduled for Oct. 29 at Converse.com and select retailers.

However, the release of the shoe is not the only thing Emory and Converse worked on together. Aside from the shoe, the two collaborated on a purposeful launch, creating a platform for “civic education, engagement and participation among young Black creatives leading into the U.S. election this November and beyond.”

The efforts include enlisting artist collective For Freedoms as the campaign’s creative partner, which will yield a short film debuting this month featuring the collective’s founder Hank Willis Thomas “that aims to express the positive impact of civic engagement.” Additionally, Converse will release a For Freedoms-created graphic voting series with both digital and physical executions. Additionally, the trio partnered with multi-banner store owner James Whitner to distribute the series in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas to encourage the Black community to vote.

Converse has also provided a monetary contribution to voting initiatives, which it said was done to support Emory’s raising awareness in civic engagement goals.

Lastly, Denimtears.com will donate all proceeds from sales of the Converse collab to For Freedoms and Black Voters Matter.

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