Converse and Denham launch first collaborative sneaker

Thursday night marked the official launch of the new collaborative Jack Purcell style sneaker from Converse and Denham the Jeanmaker, held at the denim company's showroom store in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Jason Denham, British founder of the Denham label revealed that he had always

dreamed of creating his own sneaker. "I have over 150 pairs of Jack Purcell Converse sneakers at home," he revealed during the launch party. Collected during various stages of his life from a number of countries such as Korea, Japan and the US, his Converse collection is what sparked the idea to create his own Converse Sneaker.

"We

have been selling Converse in our men's store since it first opened. Then one day I was talking to their executives and the idea to work together on a collaboration collection came up." The Converse Jack Purcell x Denham sneaker is the start of a full collaborative collection between the two companies said Denham, with more sneakers and designs to come.

But for the first sneaker Denham wanted to keep things "fresh, clean and simple," which led to the classic dual-toned canvas design in black and white. He decided to alter the denim labels illustrative logo to match the iconic Jack Purcell toecap which looks like a smile, and turned the scissor emblem into a 'smile' which is featured on the sneakers heel.

'The story behind the collaboration is a combination of share passion for quality and subtle details'

"That's why I love Converse, because they are timeless and ageless, like a pair of jeans. It doesn't matter if you are 10 years old or 90 years old, you can still wear them and look stylish and feel good. They just get better with wear, like a good pair of jeans."

"We

are currently working on a leather model in our design studio," he added, with more sneaker designs, colors and materials to come in a range of sizes for both men and women. "Who knows, we may even extend the collection and add apparel, like t-shirts, sweaters and denim."

When asked if there was also a childrens collection on the cards, the denim label founder laughed, "Did you know I just had a baby ten days ago? If you had asked me before hand, I would have said no straight away. But now that I have my own kid, you see things differently. Maybe we will do a kids collection, who knows."

But for now fans will have to satisfy themselves with the first edition sneaker, which is available in limited numbers for 95 euros or 75 pounds, in sizes 5 UK (38) to 13 UK (46) at Denham stores in Amsterdam, as well as selected independent retailers across Europe, the US and Asia Pacific.

"But don't become a collector like me," warns Denham, saying that his collection takes up a lot space in his closet. "I don't recommend it!"

Photos: Denham x Converse launch

Vivian Hendriksz