Tremaine Emory, aka Denim Tears, is set to release his collaborative Converse Chuck Taylor high and low top models as part of an initiative to increase voting awareness and civic engagement in the Black creative community.
After initially delaying the shoes’ release due to this summer’s racial justice protests, Emory has elected to use the sneakers’ release strategically in the leadup to the 2020 US Presidential election. The shoe’s design is simple: stake the Black community’s claim in the creation of the ultimate American sneaker icon, the Chuck Taylor All Star.
The models use the African-American flag, which transforms the traditional stars and bars using the colors of Marcus Garvey’s Pan-African flag. Denim Tears’ All Stars use this flag’s green and black stars on the shoe’s tongues and heel piping, while the bigger panels on the upper are made up of red and black stripes. A green midsole stripe and red outsole complement the patterns, and a DENIM TEARS heel badge cements the model as Emory’s own.
The models were specifically inspired by the Liberty Rock, a monument created by Black liberation movements in NYC in the ‘60s. Their release will be accompanied by a digital and physical release of a graphic to promote voting created by Hank Willis Thomas, founder of For Freedoms (an artist collective that dedicates its efforts towards increasing direct action and civic joy among Black Americans.) Denim Tears will also donate all proceeds from the sales of the collection via their website to For Freedoms and Black Voters Matter.
The Denim Tears x Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars will release on October 22nd exclusively via Denim Tears’ website, with a Converse release date following on October 29th. You can check out photos of the release down below, as well as the accompanying For Freedoms infographic.
