Would You Wear Jonathan Anderson's Felt Converse?

From patent vinyl to fuzzy felt, Jonathan Anderson’s Converse collaborations have no creative bounds when it comes to form.

“There’s a method to the madness,” Anderson tells Vogue of the process that led him to decide upon felt as the sole material for his third capsule collection. “I am obsessed with Joseph Beuys’s work, and how he takes an ordinary object like a piano and reinterprets it using felt. There is something utilitarian, almost military, about using felt as a medium. Like a uniform, it’s democratic.”

The Irish designer has been road-testing a pair of grey "Felts", and is pleased at the lightness and tactility of his new Chuck 70s, which he hopes people will perceive as an art object as well as an everyday shoe. “Felt is not only visually interesting, but it is also very tactile, which as a result takes this shoe beyond just a fun design, but tells a more interactive story,” he explains.

For a diehard Converse wearer – he has kept every pair he’s ever owned, with a grand total now amassing over 40 – how does he think fellow Cons fans will get their heads around high-tops made from the fibrous, matted material? “For me, they really remind me of being a kid and playing," he opines. “I hope purists will appreciate the "Felt" for more than just a shoe, too."

Sceptics who can’t fathom "Felt" Chucks cutting the mustard against the elements this winter, can be safe in the knowledge that Anderson has done his homework. “I love art and I love objects, but I have learnt that you cannot rush and sometimes you have to learn the craft. That can take time,” he says.

Time has also afforded him room to experiment with colourways as vibrant as his previous “Toy” collection. Fluorescent orange, hot pink and khaki green are all prominent – sometimes patched together – but Anderson hasrelinquished his full felt vision to include the option of leather laces for those wary of a textural overload. “It’s this idea of personalisation and identity that I love,” he adds. What will Anderson think of next?

The Converse x JW Anderson "Felt" shoes, which retail for £110, will be available from Converse.com, J-w-anderson.com and select retailers from October 11th.