Converse and Vaquera return with the VX-1 Heel, a new silhouette that brings different contrasting world together through an unexpected mix of skate-inspired construction and eveningwear proportions. Drawing from the Converse CS Pro-1, a padded skate shoe from the brand’s archive, the design transforms a sportswear profile by adding a kitten heel.
The collaboration continues the two brands’ shared interest in subverting silhouettes. The VX-1 Heel introduces a new model that pushes the brand’s archive in a different direction. Its padded upper retains the visual weight of skate footwear, while the heel shifts the proportions and gives the silhouette an entirely different attitude.
The VX-1 Heel with Archive Elements and an Unexpected Finish
The VX-1 Heel combines a perforated suede upper with a padded mesh tongue and inner heel, creating a layered construction rooted in skate design. Wide laces pass through moulded eyestay covers, reinforcing the shoems substantial upper, while a heel pull with translucent elements introduces a contrasting technical accent.
Co-branded moulded rubber on the tongue marks the partnership, with Star Chevron branding anchoring the sides. Underfoot, a Super Grip gum rubber forefoot outsole maintains a connection to Converse’s skate heritage. The defining detail, however, remains the kitten heel, which transforms the proportions without erasing the silhouette’s athletic origins.
Kim Petras Stars in a Miniature World
Converse and Vaquera bring the VX-1 Heel fo life theough a campaifn starring Kim Petras. The German singer, songwriter and producer, who is based in Los Angeles, won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance in 2023. Across three albums, two mixtapes and five EPs, she has built a distinctive pop identity, with her fans known as Bunheads.
Photographed inside a miniature house, Petras becomes part of a visual concept that plays with scale and perspective. The setting complements the VX-1 Heel’s own contradictions, placing an unconventional silhouette in an environment where proportions no longer matter.
From the Slouch Wedge to the VX-1 Heel
The new model builds on the brands’ first collaboration, which launched in November 2025 with the XXXHi Slouch Wedge and XHi Slouch Wedge. Both designs reimagined the Chuck Taylor All Star through slouched, textile-heavy constructions and hidden wedge soles, with synthetic waxed canvas that develops a patina through wear.
Vaquera first revealed the styles during its Fall 2025 ready-to-wear presentation in Paris, before the shoes launched globally with Cortisa Star leading the campaign. That release established the partnership’s approach to footwear: take a recognisable Converse foundation and alter its proportions, materials or construction to challenge expectations.
Converse x Vaquera VX-1 Heel Release Information
The Converse x Vaquera VX-1 Heel launches on 27 October 2026 with a retail price of £200.
Converse and Vaquera Introduce the VX-1 Heel with Kim Petras
