When Converse announced that they signed NBA swingman Kelly Oubre to an endorsement deal in November, it sparked rumors that the brand would re-launch a basketball division that has been dormant since 2012.
That proved true, as they are officially returning to the hardwood with a new silhouette, the Converse All-Star Pro BB. The brand—which is now owned by Nike—hopes to insert itself back into a category that it helped introduce over 100 years ago.
“Our rebirth into basketball felt like a very honest, a very authentic and a really organic place for us to start to broaden our portfolio of product into new dimensions and new expressions for our brand,” said Brandis Russell, Converse VP of Global Footwear.