Tag: Converse

Converse has launched its eleventh annual “Proud to Be” collection, just in time for Pride Month 2025, with a powerful tagline: “For those prouder than ever to be themselves.” The collection and accompanying campaign reaffirm the brand’s long-standing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community, showcasing vibrant designs and highlighting personal stories of self-acceptance and love.

The iconic footwear brand emphasizes its consistent support for the community. “Converse has always stood with the proud, the daring and the unapologetic,” the Converse Pride website states. For the 2025 iteration, the brand looks forward, declaring, “For our 2025 ‘Proud To Be’ celebration, we’re not looking back, we’re lighting the way forward towards a future of love and joy for everyone.” This forward-looking message aligns with the ongoing progress and aspirations of the LGBTQIA+ movement globally.

The 2025 “Proud to Be” footwear collection boldly incorporates the iconic rainbow colors of the Pride flag, integrated into dynamic flame and animal print designs. This artistic approach offers a fresh take on traditional Pride motifs, blending a sense of fierce individuality with celebratory themes.

Leading the collection are new silhouettes designed to make a statement. The Chuck Taylor All Star Lift Double Stack, a chunky platform style, offers an elevated look, while the Chuck Taylor All Star XXHi introduces a distinctive knee-high option, providing diverse choices for personal expression. In addition to these new styles, the classic Chuck Taylor All Star high, low, and platform designs are also part of the collection.

Converse further empowers individual expression through its “Converse By You” customization experience. This platform allows customers to personalize their Chuck Taylor All Star high, low, and platform styles with a variety of patches, prints, colors, trims, and unique flourishes. This bespoke approach encourages consumers to create footwear that truly reflects their unique identities and pride.

The beloved Chuck 70 silhouette, known for its premium craftsmanship and vintage details, has also received the “Pride treatment,” integrating the collection’s themes into its classic design. Complementing the footwear, the brand has released two Converse Pride T-shirts, featuring designs that echo the collection’s aesthetic, including rainbow animal print, a stark black-and-white zebra print, and vibrant rainbow flames.

Beyond the fashion statement, Converse reiterates its significant financial commitment to LGBTQIA+ organizations. The brand has publicly stated that, through annual grants, it has “pledged and donated nearly $3.4M to local, national, and international organizations since we first launched our annual Pride campaign and collection in 2015.” This consistent philanthropic effort underscores the brand’s dedication to supporting initiatives that foster equality and well-being within the LGBTQIA+ community.

A powerful component of the 2025 “Proud to Be” campaign extends beyond product offerings, featuring seven “All Stars” — individuals from past “Proud to Be” campaigns – who have penned deeply personal “love letters to their future selves.” Converse emphasizes the significance of these narratives, stating, “We welcome back our LGBTQIA+ community from past Pride campaigns to share their stories — love letters to their future selves – each a testament to the enduring power of love.” This initiative aims to highlight the journey of self-discovery, resilience, and the evolving nature of identity within the LGBTQIA+ experience.

Among these inspiring individuals is Allié, a multidisciplinary artist based in Melbourne, Australia, with Vietnamese heritage. Her biography, as detailed by Converse, notes: “Through her work, she explores the complexities of identity, drawing from her lived experience as a trans woman of color.” Allié’s art, according to her bio, “reflects the intersections of culture, gender, and self-expression, offering a deeply personal yet universally resonant perspective.” For her poignant letter to her future self, Allié writes: “Dear future me, in ten years, I hope to look back and see a world where I no longer need to justify my existence.”

Another compelling participant is Ayo, a visual artist, writer, researcher, and award-winning filmmaker hailing from Ghana and Lesotho, currently based in Toronto. Their artistic endeavors span various mediums, including film, photography, and illustration. Ayo’s bio explains: “Their work explores questions of home, (in)visibility, liminality and (un)belonging as they relate to Black queer and trans* African diasporic subjectivity.” In their heartfelt letter, Ayo imparts a powerful message: “Dear future me, I hope that you never forget the magic of Black queer and trans existence and that you use it to propel yourself and others towards a future (and present) that is hospitable and loving.”

The “Converse By You” experience and the complete “Proud to Be” 2025 collection are now available for purchase on converse.com, inviting individuals to celebrate Pride Month by embracing self-expression and supporting a brand committed to the LGBTQIA+ community. The campaign’s fusion of vibrant fashion, artistic expression, and meaningful advocacy aims to foster a sense of pride and collective progress during this significant month and beyond.