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Home / All Stories / Create Your Own Story
Create YourOwn Story
Inspired by basketball legend Dr. J, five up-and-coming style icons try the Pro Leather on for size and reflect on how their individuality unlocked a creativity that’s all their own.
Feb 1, 2020
Introduced in 1976, the Converse Pro Leather became an instant basketball classic. It featured new technology for the time, with a cupsole design that made it lighter and more durable than its predecessors. The silhouette was also the boldest expression of the Converse Star Chevron logo, offered in multiple "team colors" and at one point, shipped with markers to encourage personalization.
But, the legacy of the Pro Leather can't be expressed without acknowledging the player who elevated the sneaker to a staple of basketball style, on and off the court: Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Donning the Pro Leather in the '70s and '80s, Dr. J completely changed the game of basketball, soaring above the rim like no one had done before, introducing a uniquely elegant style of play, and inspiring a new generation of players in their creative approach to the sport.
Now—as Converse reintroduces the Pro Leather to its lineup—we tapped five style leaders, themselves accomplished creatives, to tell us how they’re changing the game in their own way: Kelly Oubre, Jr., Sage Elsesser, Paloma Elsesser, Natasha Cloud, and IDK.
Scroll to find out just how they channel the Be the First attitude of Dr. J.
"I'm trying to make everyday a masterpiece. It’s all about being creative. My style is just me, it's my emotion, it's who I am. Whatever you see is how I feel."
Kelly Oubre Jr.
"Sometimes you have to take a couple losses to understand what it feels like. The truth of the matter is… just be you."
Sage Elsesser
"I radically accept who I am. That doesn't mean that I love every single part of it, but I am who I am. What is anyone going to do about it or who is going to tell me differently?"
Paloma Elsesser
"There's no one way to do it. There's not a blueprint for it. Just be an original."
Natasha Cloud
"There's a level of confidence that comes with being yourself that you can't really replicate. Tapping into yourself is the most important thing."
IDK
Inspired by basketball legend Dr. J, five up-and-coming style icons try the Pro Leather on for size and reflect on how their individuality unlocked a creativity that's all their own.
Introduced in 1976, the Converse Pro Leather became an instant basketball classic. It featured new technology for the time, with a cupsole design that made it lighter and more durable than its predecessors. The silhouette was also the boldest expression of the Converse Star Chevron logo, offered in multiple “team colors” and at one point, shipped with markers to encourage personalization.
But, the legacy of the Pro Leather can’t be expressed without acknowledging the player who elevated the sneaker to a staple of basketball style, on and off the court: Julius “Dr. J” Erving. Donning the Pro Leather in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Dr. J completely changed the game of basketball, soaring above the rim like no one had done before, introducing a uniquely elegant style of play, and inspiring a new generation of players in their creative approach to the sport.
Now—as Converse reintroduces the Pro Leather to its lineup—we tapped five style leaders, themselves accomplished creatives, to tell us how they're changing the game in their own way: Kelly Oubre, Jr., Sage Elsesser, Paloma Elsesser, Natasha Cloud, and IDK.
"I’m trying to make everyday a masterpiece. It's all about being creative. My style is just me, it’s my emotion, it's who I am. Whatever yousee is how I feel."
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