Shinsuke Takizawa Discusses NEIGHBORHOOD's Debut Collection with Converse First String
Shinsuke Takizawa’s NEIGHBORHOOD has been one of the Ura-hara movement’s most respectable and
Shinsuke Takizawa’s NEIGHBORHOOD has been one of the Ura-hara movement’s most respectable and well-known brands since its inception almost 20 years ago. Oddly enough, despite a wealth of collaborative ventures under its belt, it has taken a significant amount of time for the Americana-inspired brand to work with one of America’s longest standing and most authentic footwear brands, Converse. Together both brands have remained faithful to their product and in doing so, built up a strong allegiance of followers spanning the globe. Citing a love of Converse as one of the main reasons behind the project, founder Shinsuke-san spoke with us over a quiet afternoon at their head office in Tokyo.
NEIGHBORHOOD x Converse
NEIGHBORHOOD has largely remained a Japanese-exclusive brand until recent forays into international markets. Despite the fact, for this upcoming global Converse First String release, Shinsuke-san cited “Our first priority with the Converse collaboration is to make a good shoe. The focus is that people enjoy the shoe whether it’s domestically or internationally.”
For those familiar with NEIGHBORHOOD’s aesthetic, there’s an inherently strong easy-to-wear factor that revolves around much of their designs and the Converse collaboration is no different. Much like its fellow Japanese brands, the detail-orientated approach is a strong component with the final result, something that Shinsuke-san mentioned “matches with NEIGHBORHOOD’s apparel and quality. It’s as minimal as possible but still upholds what our brand is about.” Through both models, the deep petrol blue leather Jack Purcell Johnny Mid and the royal blue suede All Star Chuck ’70 Ox, both share similar tonal woven heel stripes that are a testament to NEIGHBORHOOD’s enduring respect and tribute to motorcycle culture.
Stay tuned for a further look into the collection which is slated to release on Friday, October 25th at HOODS in Hong Kong, Union in Los Angeles and El Garito de Converse in Madrid. Select Converse First String retailers across the globe will follow on Friday 1st November. The sneakers will retail for $120 USD.
“Our first priority
with the Converse collaboration is to make a good shoe.”
