During her set at All Points East 2026, Oklou brought one of Converse’s most elevated takes on its legendary silhouette to the stage, wearing the First String Chuck Taylor All Star Woven Leather.
The appearance places Converse’s latest premium expression directly within the music culture that has helped define the Chuck Taylor for generations. From musicians and artists to designers and creatives, the Chuck has long been adopted by people looking to put their own spin on an instantly recognisable silhouette. Oklou’s festival appearance continues that relationship, giving the latest First String construction a natural place within the summer festival landscape.
The style originally debuted in May 2026 during Milan Design Week, introducing a more considered interpretation of the Chuck Taylor through elevated materials, specialist craftsmanship and a series of technical updates hidden within its familiar shape.
A Woven Leather Take on the Chuck Taylor
The First String Chuck Taylor All Star Woven Leather represents Conversems highest-end expression of the Chuck Taylor, taking an icon that has remained largely unchanged in the cultural imagination and reconsidering it through a premium construction.
At the centre of the design are hand-woven leather panels produced by a specialist Italian supplier. Each woven panel is specifically produced for the shape of the Chuck Taylor.
That construction extends beyond the material itself. Converse has precision-engineered the silhouette from its proportions and dimensions through to its toe spring and overall width. A refined last has been developed around contemporary foot profiles while retaining the recognisable character of the original Chuck Taylor.
Reworking the Elements
Tonal wheeled pinstripes add subtle definition around the upper, while an enlarged licence plate inspired by late-1950s Chuck Taylor iterations gives the heel a stronger archival reference. The collar has also been reshaped, with enhanced eyelets and a lace keeper added to help stabilise the tongue.
Underneath, Converse moves away from the traditional rubber construction with a Vibram outsole, providing additional traction, durability and temperature regulation. Inside, a moulded sockliner combines Converse CX and Nike Air technology, adding another layer of cushioning and comfort.
These updates aren’t intended to reinvent the Chuck Taylor visually. They simply demonstrate the First String approach of refining the silhouette through construction, materials and details while preserving the shape that made the shoe recognisable in the first place.
From Milan Design Week to All Points East
Oklou’s appearance at All Points East offers a fitting setting for the First String Chuck Taylor. The silhouette may have been introduced through the design-focused environment of Milan Design Week, but its history has always extended far beyond design studios.
The Chuck Taylor’s connection to music, fashion and youth culture has been built over decades, with each generation finding a different way to wear and interpret it. Bringing the Woven Leather version onto a festival stage reinforces that idea, showing how even Converse’s most elevated construction can still function within the same cultural spaces that have surrounded the Chuck for generations.
The First String Chuck Taylor will launch globally on September 16, 2026, with an initial selection spanning Leather, Novelty and Canvas executions. A secondary selection of colourways will follow on November 6, with further First String products expected to arrive in the months ahead.
