As Converse’s momentous Century celebration dwindles down, I find it interesting that the brand has chosen to reinvigorate its technical “CONS”-style hoops line in ‘09. Worn by the superstars of yesteryear, the aforementioned division was made popular in the late 1980’s and well into the ’90s by Isiah Rider, Isiah Thomas, Bill Laimbeer, and a host of others. The first release from the stable is the R-001, an understated model that’s inspired by the Pro Leather ‘76, the Dumalis Mid, and Heatseaker Mid. (Two lesser known models form last year that I felt deserved a more burn!)The name to the 001’s game is customization, as the prominent midfoot support strap and the heel tab can be removed by the wearer depending on his or her preference. Undefoot, the shoe provides a double-lasted CMEVA midsole and a wicked, multidirectional herringbone outsole pattern. The R-001 is already available overseas, and you can expect to see it stateside sometime early next year. Images via The Converse Blog.
