All Star Hi 70s Trainers

Barriers x Converse "True Power Comes From Within"

‘Education Through Style’ - This is the mission statement of New York based Barriers who look to explore the more undiscovered elements of Black history and in this first Converse collab is takes inspiration from The North Star which was an anti-slavery newspaper launched in America in 1847 and running until 1851 when it merged with another paper.

This Chuck 70 includes so many key details like cowrie shell on the contrast laces - Barriers Steven Barter explains “Cowrie shells were seen as a symbol of fertility, wealth, and a hopeful destiny within African cultures”. 

The soles and box both feature stars - a reference to when escaped slaves used the stars as a beacon to flee northwards towards freedom.