The new Toya Horiuchi × Converse All Star Squaretoe sneaker subtly remixes one of Converse’s most timeless shoes. At first glance, it’s your classic low-top Chuck dressed head-to-toe in black. But things change when we look closer.

Instead of Converse’s usual canvas uppers, Toya Horiuchi opts for premium nubuck leather, elevating this square-toed sneaker into a distinctly luxurious, almost dress-shoe-like vibe.

The metal eyelets keep this shoe traditional, except for the first one by the toe, which is switched out for a star-shaped stud. A subtle but punchy signature Converse twist, referencing the brand’s famous star logo (and the All Star’s name).

This all-black finish might sound straightforward, but paired with the square toe, it transforms the otherwise classic Converse Chuck Taylor sneaker into something sleeker and decidedly dressier.

Toya Horiuchi, a talented painter, graphic designer, and screen printer living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, intentionally doesn’t mess with Converse DNA too much while tapping into that understated luxury aesthetic currently dominating menswear.

On the back of the sneaker’s tongue sits an unexpected Toya Horiuchi original artwork: a reworked Statue of Liberty combined with Converse’s ankle patch.

Think of this collab as Converse channelling the same energy as its squared-off De-Luxe sneaker models or even the Rick Owens DRKSHDW Chuck shoes, but with a far more wearable, everyday utility.

Retailing at $127 on Converse Japan’s website, the Toya Horiuchi × Converse All Star Squaretoe is proof that, sometimes, it only takes a slight material swap, a little variation in design and a star-studded eyelet to make a classic feel entirely new.