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Converse are launching colour-changing shoes and we need them now
19 July 2019, 16:52
It's practically a bargain deal.
Sometimes you just can't afford to splash out on two pairs of different coloured trainers but thanks to Converse, picking between the white or blue pair will no longer be an issue. Presenting… colour-changing Converse.
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The American shoe brand have teamed up with Chinatown Market to launch a new shoe that magically changes colour when exposed to sunlight – it's literally two shoes in one. The UV-activated shoe's off-white canvas upper can morph into a colourful array of blue, orange and magenta.
Chinatown Market have shared videos of how it works on Instagram. Basically, the shoe starts off white-ish indoors and as they're slowly introduced to the light they gradually become a striped rainbow colour. The whole process seems quicker in a video when they shine blue light on the trainers.
In an interview with Sneaker News, Chinatown Market founder Mike Cherman said the trainers are more than shoes, they're "conversation pieces".
"I think that’s what’s so fun about this project," he explained. "It makes the shoe more than just a shoe. It’s a conversation piece, something that’s unique to the wearer. These hues [on the shoe] change in their own way, and some colours will last longer while others will last for a shorter time period. It’s the beauty of the shoes: how unique they are."
He added: "You go to a music festival, the shoes are all bright and crazy in the sunlight, and the moment you step inside a tent, they go back to their pastel base and are different. That’s what’s so fun."
Although Mike didn't reveal exactly how the Converse magically changes colour, UV-activated clothing is sometimes made with a special dye that needs heat to bring on its colour. A chemical within they dye begins to change structure, which allows more light to be absorbed and ultimately changing the colour.
The designs are in the classic Chuck 70 style with high and low top versions, and they'll be available from the Chinatown Market website from July 20. The high tops retail for $100, while the low one's come in at $95 USD.