Converse was founded in 1908 and has been one of the most popular shoe brands for over 113 years. The brand is constantly coming out with limited edition collaborations and collections, which can make collecting these iconic shoes difficult. Surprisingly, these special Converse shoes aren’t quite as expensive as other brands on the secondary market.
In fact, some of the rarest Converse shoes can be found for about $200. However, the most expensive and rarest Converse shoes ever are truly a one-of-a-kind pair, that are basically priceless due to their history.
- DC Comics
- The Simpsons
- Andy Warhol
- A$AP Nast Collab
- Made in Maine Boot
- Super Mario Bros.
- Converse x Nirvana Kurt Cobain
- Converse x AC/DC
- Off-White Virgil Abloh Collab
- Michael Jordan’s Game-Worn Converse
Year Released: 2011
Style: Chuck Taylor All Stars
photo source: sneakerfiles.com
Year Released: 2013 and 2014
Style: Chuck Taylor All Stars
photo source: Hypebeast
Although the show isn’t what it used to be, The Simpsons are still some of the best-known cartoon characters in pop culture. In 2013, when the show was in its 25th season, Converse released a limited collection of shoes themed after The Simpsons. The collection featured the show’s namesake family – Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie – on Chuck Taylor All Stars. Some of the shoes also had some of Homer’s signature quotes like “D’oh!” A second Converse x The Simpsons collection was dropped in 2014. The Simpsons Converse are some of the most popular and pop up every once in a while on resale sites.
Year Released: 2015 – 2016
Style: Chuck Taylor All Stars
photo source: Freshness
Between 2015 and 2016, Converse released a few collections featuring the iconic artwork of Andy Warhol. Converse partnered with the Andy Warhol Foundation for all of the collections. The first collection featured Warhol’s signature Campbell’s Soup cans, advertisements, and newspaper clippings graphics. The followup collection in 2016 had Andy Warhol cow wallpaper and flowers prints. Of course, the Andy Warhol Converse shoes quickly sold out and are now only available on resale sites.
Did You Know?
According to several sources, Andy Warhol used to silkscreen designs onto his own Converse Chuck Taylors back in the 1980s.
Year Released: 2019
Style: Jack Purcell Mids
photo source: sneakernews.com
In 2019, rapper A$AP Nast dropped a highly anticipated Converse collaboration that featured apparel as well as shoes. The A$AP Nast Converse collection included sweatpants, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. The colors that Converse and A$AP Nast chose for the shoes and clothing were Vintage Heather Grey, Brown, Lemonade, Beechnut, and other earthy tones. The most wanted piece from the collection was the the orange Jack Purcell sneakers. A green version of the shoes was also available.
Did You Know?
Converse has collaborated with the A$AP Mob a few times because the group’s members, including A$AP Nast, have been lifelong fans of the brand and their shoes.
Year Released: 2012
Style: Chuck Taylor All Star Boot
photo source: sneakernews.com
While Converse is mostly known for its hi-top and low-top Chuck Taylors, the brand has produced boots over the years. In 2012, Converse collaborated with New England’s Highland Boot Company of Brewer, Maine to release the Chuck Taylor All Star “Made in Maine” Boot. This was a very limited run, as only 80 boots were made. The Made in Maine Boots retailed for $350 and none were found on resale sites recently.
Year Released: 2011
Style: Chuck Taylor All Stars
photo source: sneakernews.com
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros., Converse released a Japan exclusive collaboration. The Super Mario Bros. Converse shoes paid homage to the original game and featured some of the game’s most iconic graphics. The limited edition shoes were only available at select retailers in Japan. These days, the Super Mario Bros. Converse shoes can be found on the secondary market for a few hundred dollars.
Year Released: 2008 and 2010
Style: Chuck Taylor All Star, Jack Purcell, and One Star
photo source: Hypebeast
Although he passed away under unfortunate circumstances in the 1990s, Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain has left a lasting impression on many people and is an enduring part of popular culture. In 2008, Converse released a special line of Kurt Cobain Chuck Taylors. The shoes featured drawings and writings that were published in 2002’s Kurt Cobain Journals. Some of the shoes also had images of Cobain. As another nod to Cobain, the shoes used in the Converse collaboration were the styles that Corbain often wore.
Did You Know?
To make the Converse Kurt Cobain shoes even more special, the shoes were embroidered with Cobain’s signature.
Year Released: 2009
Style: Chuck Taylor All Stars
photo source: Hypebeast
In 2009, Converse dropped a Chuck Taylor All Stars collection featuring Australian rock legends AC/DC. There were a couple of different Chuck Taylors featuring images of AC/DC and their album art. The collaboration paid homage to to the band’s 1978 album ‘Powerage’. Today, these Converse AC/DC shoes typically sell for a few hundred dollars.
Did You Know?
The rarest/most unique shoes in the Converse AC/DC collaboration featured multi-colored laces (made from smaller individual laces which are intertwined), double lining, and the yellow-meets-orange Powerage logo wrapped around the heel.
Year Released: 2018
Style: Chuck 70
photo source: sneakernews.com
Originally released in 2018, the Converse Off-White Virgil Abloh Collab shoes are highly sought after and sell for thousands of dollars on the resale market. The shoes were designed by Virgil Abloh, the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection, which accounts for their popularity. Due to demand of the Off-White Virgil Abloh Chuck 70s, Converse actually re-released the shoes in April 2021 and they quickly sold out again.
Year Released: Worn in 1984 Olympics
Style: Fastbreak Mids
photo source: Sole Collector
Did You Know?
Before the sale of the Michael Jordan’s Game-Worn Converse in 2017, the previous record holder for most expensive game-worn shoes was another pair worn by Jordan: the actual “Flu Game” Air Jordan 12s worn by Jordan in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals.
