About

Converse One Star

The star on the side of the One Star is not an emblem stitched on — it’s cut out. In the classic versions the five-point star is a cutout in the suede where the underlying layer shows through. Where the Chuck Taylor wears its round emblem on the ankle, the One Star has one star cutting across its flank, and that’s the whole story behind the name.

A short life and two revivals

The model appeared in 1974 as a low suede basketball shoe and disappeared again after a few years — too expensive, too early. Its first second life came in the 1990s, when the grunge generation fished the forgotten model out of bargain bins and the star became that scene’s understatement. The second came via the skate division, which turned it into a modern skate shoe with the Pro versions. The One Star is therefore the rare model that belongs both with a guitar and with a board.

Suede on the familiar sole

Beneath the suede lies the familiar house build: the serrated bumper around the toe, the thin sidewall with double foxing, vulcanized rubber underneath. The Pro versions add a cushioned insole and reinforce the seams; the slip-on variant swaps the laces for elastic. The suede is the constant — the One Star is within the brand what the Puma Suede is for its brand: the member that could have been named after its material.

Among the housemates

The choice within the brand is one of character: the Chuck is the loud canvas icon, the Chuck 70 the refined reissue, and the One Star the quiet suede alternative with better cushioning in its Pro form. Once you recognise the star as a cutout, you see the difference with any stitched imitation at a glance.

On this page you can see which versions of the Converse One Star are currently hottest according to the Hypescore, from what price they’re available and in how many shops they are in stock.