“The reason I got fly is Ibn Jasper,” Lupe Fiasco once rapped. The name drop may have appeared random to the uninitiated, but to those in the know, it was a shoutout and touchpoint to a well-connected barber from Chicago.
Jasper has been associated to Kanye West and Virgil Abloh throughout the years, functioning as a buddy, consultant, and “Master Barber,” according to his Instagram page. On social media in 2018, the low-key figure announced the creation of his own footwear line, STRATICA INTERNATIONAL, which blended nicely with the plethora of skate and motorsports-related content on the platform. “Ferrari Murakami” will release a Converse One Star collaboration on May 20th, building on his previous work with STRATICA INTERNATIONAL. With aggressive tooling, useful pull tabs at the heel, and a combination of high-quality materials across the upper, the low-top silhouette is reinterpreted.
Each of the aforementioned components, when combined, brings all of Jasper’s and his taste-making crew’s worlds together. The color palettes of both of the Chicagoan’s Converse designs are rather traditional, but checkerboard flags and other contrasting details give the One Star pairs a modern twist. Enjoy a first look at the Ibn Jasper x Converse collaboration ahead, and the sneakers will be available for $150 USD on Converse.com on Friday, May 20th. Check out the latest Air Max arrivals from NIKE, Inc. for additional inspiration.