Converse’s upcoming D&D collection rolls with retro roleplayers

Dungeons & Dragons has a bunch of brand collaborations lined up to celebrate the game’s 50th anniversary, but its partnership with Converse is especially neat for old-school players. Converse is releasing a limited edition collection of D&D-themed shoes and apparel next month, most of which has been designed around elements from the earliest versions of the game.

The collection includes several Chuck Taylor All Stars and Chuck 70 iterations that feature illustrations and other assets from D&D’s very first edition, back when it was just called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Characters like Kelek, Warduke, and Zarak, who appeared in the D&D action figure line and the 1983 supplement “The Shady Dragon Inn,” can be seen on a pair of All Stars, for example.

The star logos on the Chuck 70s have also been faceted to resemble the 20-sided dice used for playing D&D. The shoebox will apparently even resemble a mimic, and I’m pretty chewed up that Converse hasn’t provided any images of that yet. There’s also a pair of low-top and high-top sneakers for kiddies, with the latter seemingly featuring a D20 on the side that “rolls” around as you walk.

The remaining apparel collection contains a hat, a sweatshirt, T-shirts, and shorts, which showcase designs like Dave Trampier’s demonic cover artwork for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Players Handbook. Some classic D&D design elements, such as David A. Trampier’s Lich illustration from the first edition Monster Manual, will also be available in the Converse By You customization platform for customers in North America and Western Europe.

As someone who has only experienced D&D from its fifth edition, this collaboration (and I apologize to the older nerd community) certainly feels like it’s mostly going for a “vintage” vibe. I wouldn’t wear anything besides the gray / white Chuck 70s myself, but I was delighted to see so much of the game’s classic artwork being spotlighted again.

Pricing for the full Converse x D&D collection can already be seen on the Converse website. It’s debuting at the Gary Con gaming convention running from March 21st to March 24th, with global availability on April 11th.