New Converse Change From White To Rainbow Colours When You Walk In The Sun

Chinatown Market/Instagram

Converse is releasing a new pair of shoes which allow you to leave the house wearing white trainers and watch them transform into a rainbow of colours as soon as the light hits. 

I feel like these shoes are just a more grown up version of trainers with flashing lights or shoes with built-in wheels. They’re subtle and practical when necessary, making them a bit more socially acceptable than a pair of flashing trainers, but one quick dip in UV light ensures you’re ready to party.

Of course, if you don’t care about being a grown up then there’s no doubt you’ll be the coolest kid on the block with a pair of these colour-changing kicks.

Check out how they change:

Converse launched the trainers in collaboration with US-based company Chinatown Market and while at first glance they appear to be white it just takes a little bit of UV light, from the sun, for example, to get the the true colours shining through.

When put under UV, a combination of blue, orange and pink emerge onto the material, transforming your feet into brilliant rainbows.

Admittedly it might prove difficult to find an outfit which compliments the bright trainers but I think they’re definitely cool enough to risk a bit of colour clashing.

The Converse will be available in both high and low top styles, though you’ll have to splash out in order to get your hands on a pair, as the high version retails for $100 (£80), while the low costs $95 (£75).

Chinatown Market founder and designer Mike Cherman spoke to Sneaker News about the technology behind the new Converse collection, pointing out the trainers would definitely draw attention.

He explained:

You know, for me as a kid, when I was buying clothes, I’d always look for something with extra features or functions.

I think that giving a kid a UV shirt, it gives them a whole other function of their shirt that they can show their friends, and it does something more than just “buy this shirt, it’s got a graphic, you see what it is.” It morphs, it changes, and it interacts with the user and the environment it’s in.

Cherman continued:

I think that’s what’s so fun about this project. It makes the shoe more than just a shoe. It’s a conversation piece, something that’s unique to the wearer.

These hues [on the shoe] change in their own way, and some colors will last longer while others will last for a shorter time period. It’s the beauty of the shoes: how unique they are.

It changes with you. You go to a music festival, the shoes are all bright and crazy in the sunlight, and the moment you step inside a tent, they go back to their pastel base and are different. That’s what’s so fun.

The colour changing trainers will debut in limited quantities at Converse’s ComplexCon booth on July 20 and 21 and Chinatown Market’s website on July 20 before making their way to selected stores on August 2.

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Emily Brown

Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.