Converse Japan Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Pro Leather With Two Vintage-Inspired Releases
The model arrives in collaborative colorways directed by SOMA’s Katsufumi Tokunaga and MAGFORLIA’s Takaya Yamada.
Name: Takaya Yamada x Converse Pro Leather J VTG OX “Purple/Gold”, Katsufumi Tokunaga x Converse Pro Leather J VTG OX “Black/Gray”
Colorway: Purple/Gold, Black/Gray
SKU: TBC
MSRP: ¥33,000 JPY (approx. $210 USD)
Release Date: March 21
Where to Buy: Converse Japan
Converse Japan is officially honoring a half-century of heritage with the Converse Pro Leather J VTG OX. Arriving as part of the brand’s archive-focused TimeLine series, the 50th-anniversary project enlists the expertise of Japanese vintage collectors Katsufumi Tokunaga of Shimokitazawa’s SOMA and Takaya Yamada of Fujieda’s MAGFORLIA. The highly curated collaboration resurrects the 1976 classic with updated Japanese manufacturing and premium materials.
Delivering a heavy dose of nostalgia, the Tokunaga-directed model features a black and grey color palette anchored by textured, pebbled leather and suede panels. On the other side of the release, Yamada’s iteration arrives in a bold purple and gold makeup, directly sampling the vintage enthusiast’s personal footwear archive. Both iterations are stamped with “Directed by” text alongside their respective creator’s name on the inner waist.
Blending retro aesthetics with modern comfort, the “Made in Japan” shoes upgrade their internal structure with OrthoLite insoles to ensure contemporary walking performance. To complete the commemorative package, the vintage-inspired releases come equipped with an exclusive TimeLine tag, spare shoelaces tailored to each model, and an original carton mimicking the 1976 packaging.
