Closer Look: Bandulu x Converse Chuck 70 Hi and Pro Leather

Self-professed “street couture” brand Bandulu is known for its embroidered, upcycled garments that feature Jackson Pollock-esque drops, drips and splashes of colorful embroidery atop vintage tees, hoodies and more. Now, brand founder Pat Peltier has brought that colorful ethos back to the world of footwear, linking up with Converse to create new takes on the Chuck 70 Hi and Pro Leather while continuing a partnership that reaches back to 2015.

A celebration of Bandulu and Converse’s shared love of basketball, each shoe is drenched in the aforementioned colorful embroidery. Leading things off, the high-cut Chuck 70 uses a rich cappuccino brown upper made of natural hemp with an All-Star logo constructed entirely of stitches. This unique base is quickly adorned with splatters and streaks, all boasting rich textures and colors divergent as purple, orange, navy and gray. Laces use a rich mavure shade, heels feature a wheat strip and a Bandulu “tattoo” graphic is embroidered on the tongue. A few more paint flecks hit the eggshell midsole, and pink outsoles with white polka dots round off the look.

Pro Leathers, on the other hand, supply a workwear-esque look with a wheat nubuck upper reminiscent of construction boots. A dash of brown around the heel’s debossed graphic provides contrast, and a multitude of dripping details arrive around both sides of the collar. Save for a few flecks, the midfoot is left largely unadorned — enabling its Chevron logo and gold-printed Bandulu stamp to get some shine — and another high concentration of embroidery appears on the toe. Down below, timeless gum midsoles and outsoles supply a finishing touch.

Accompanied by a small collection of apparel, the Bandulu x Converse Chuck 70 Hi and Pro Leather recently released (and quickly sold out) on the Bandulu webstore. However, the collection will release again on Converse’s web shop come February 11 with each silhouette priced at $115 USD.

To see what other sneakers are releasing this week, take a look at the latest installment of HYPEBEAST’s weekly Best Footwear Drops list.