Fujiwara:I was 16 years old when I got into vintage clothing, and it was my first pair of "Converse" in my life. I went through my father's personal belongings and found a pair of "All Stars" from the late '70s or early '80s with side stitching, but I never got around to wearing them because they were a little small. I found a pair of "All Star" from the late '70s in the early '80s, but they were a little small and I never got around to wearing them. After moving to Tokyo, I found a wagon sale of "Chuck Taylors" at a vintage clothing store in Koenji for 4,800 yen for big sizes only, and bought a pair of orange, mustard and red US 11s when I was 18 years old. I think the most attractive thing about Converse, especially the early "All Star" and "Chuck Taylor," is their basicness and simplicity that can be easily matched with anything. For me, they are one of my permanent staples.

Fujiwara:My first pair is a pair of "One Star" sandals released in the late '90s. At the time, this model was not talked about at all, and in the early 2000s, it was sold as a dead stock with a box for 4,800 yen or so, but it has rarely appeared recently.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)At the time, I also remember purchasing a pair for $9.99 a pair in the U.S. and trying to sell them at a store, but they did not sell at all (laughs).

Fujiwara:I completely dismissed them at the time, especially since they were not made in the U.S.A. But about 15 years ago, I bought a pair of these for 4-5,000 yen and tried them on, and I was quite hooked on them.

chestnut fieldYes, all you see are small ones. But to be honest, I also thought it was tacky at the time (laughs).

Fujiwara:Around that time, when I went to a flea market in Yoyogi, everyone was wearing sandals such as Adidas' "Adi Clog" and Reebok's "Beatnik," and I thought, "Then, I'll wear 'One Star Sandals'" and started wearing them.

section (of an orange, etc.)How much is on it now?

Fujiwara:I think it comes with 29,800 yen in this condition, or about 50,000 yen if it's dead stock.

section (of an orange, etc.)Wow, the price has skyrocketed that high. Are there other variations?

Fujiwara:I bought one in black, but there were quite a few color variations, including mustard, navy, green, and red. There were also two-tone models. I didn't like this two-tone color scheme at the time, but it looks fresh now. Personally, I would like to see this model reissued at some point.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I once told someone at Converse Japan that Mr. Yutaka has been looking for "One Star Sandals" for a long time, and he said, "Well, I'm sure Mr. Fujihara Yutaka will be happy with the 2018SS collection! so I wondered if they were finally going to be reissued, but alas, there were no stars... (laughs).

Fujiwara:(Laughter). Next time, stars! I'm looking forward to it!

all of us(Laughter).

Fujiwara:Continuing with the second pair of "One Star," I chose the "One Star Loafer," which was released in the mid-1990s. They are a rare item that falls into the category of so-called "rare berths.

section (of an orange, etc.)The navy version of this model will be reissued by "Converse Addict" on November 10, and I hear that it's doing something amazing. At one store in Osaka, there were over 100 inquiries a day.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Although it didn't come to fruition, I once approached Converse with a plan to reissue this model, so I am very happy to see it reissued this time. We (V.E.L.) also carry the "Converse Addict," and we have received more inquiries about the "One Star Loafer" than any other model to date.

section (of an orange, etc.)Is this a model you have such a strong attachment to, Konno?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)Yes, that's right. But it was Kuri who first introduced me to this model.

chestnut fieldWhen "Lost Hills" was still in Tsudanuma, I bought a fair number of pairs from dead stock and offered them for 7,800 yen, I think. I bought a few pairs and wore them.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)First I bought a brown one, then a black one, but I gave the brown one away right away. But after I gave it up, I realized again that this model is irreplaceable, and I started looking for it again. It is a one-of-a-kind character.

chestnut fieldI remember that when it was first released, it was sold at a flea market in Tokyu Bunka Kaikan for 3,000 yen new, and even then, no one took a second look at it.

Fujiwara:I saw a female staff member of "John's Clothing" (a select store in Shibuya) wearing them in a magazine snapshot, and that was when I started looking for them. She had beautiful legs anyway (laughs).

all of us　(Laughter).

Fujiwara:Later, I heard that "As" (a select and vintage store located in Harajuku and Sangenjaya) was offering it, and I bought it for 9,800 yen, I believe.

section (of an orange, etc.)Was there anything specific that led to this model's breakthrough?

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)I think it was Kuri completely. He came to Harajuku from Tsudanuma and wore "rare berths," including this model, every day, so I think everyone took notice. I think that was contagious to Yutaka.

section (of an orange, etc.)Contagion (laughs).

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)And now that the price of "rare berths" has skyrocketed, it is no longer possible to buy them even if I wanted to buy them again.

section (of an orange, etc.)By the way, how much does it cost if it comes out dead stock now?

Fujiwara:If it were black, I would spend 200,000 yen without hesitation.

section (of an orange, etc.)That's amazing (laughs). No wonder we don't stop getting inquiries.

Fujiwara:The third pair is the "Chuck Toggle.'' This model was released in the late 90's as a British project. This model was not so popular in Japan at first, but after a few years, people started looking for it. I remember that when I started looking for it, large sizes were already hard to find.

section (of an orange, etc.)Wasn't this also developed in Japan?

chestnut fieldIt has not been done. Only parallel imports.

Fujiwara:I had black and red, and then Chestnut wore olive, and I wondered if such coloring was possible.

chestnut fieldVintage Summit Vol. 1I was not sure if I should bring it this time, but I did.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)How awesome to have three different colors of "chuck toggles" on the table!

section (of an orange, etc.)This model went through the roof too, didn't it?

Fujiwara:Yes, it is. If it is in good condition, it would be around 70,000-80,000 yen, and if it is dead stock, it would be over 100,000 yen.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)But they were never reissued once, right? Personally, I like this model because it's a one-of-a-kind design, just like the "One Star Loafer".

Fujiwara:That's right.

section (of an orange, etc.)Personally, I think suede or something like that would be easier to match than smooth leather. Kuri, you used to wear "Chuck Toggle" a lot, what did you like about it?

chestnut fieldI got to know "Chuck Toggle" from the staff of "BEAMS" at that time. They had found them in Europe, and when I saw them wearing them, I imitated them and later bought them in the U.S. I told you this at the last "Vintage Clothing Summit 1. As I mentioned at the last Vintage Summit, these "rare berths" are nostalgic for those of our generation who love clothes, but they are fresh designs for those in their 20s.

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)That's for sure. The "One Star Loafer" was reissued earlier, and there is a tailwind, or rather, a reevaluation of the "rare berth.

section (of an orange, etc.)A model that was once not even looked at can be considered to be too far ahead of its time.

Fujiwara:Personally, like the "One Star Sandal," the "Chuck Toggle" is a model that I have been eagerly awaiting for many years to be reissued. Mr. Converse, please do this guy next time (laughs).

the recently departed (and buried or cremated, etc.)If that's the case, I'd like to reprint it with the members of "Vintage Summit" (laughs).

chestnut fieldIt would be great if we could do that. I have three pairs of samples here! I wouldn't mind having you dismantle the "Chuck Toggle" of the wealthy (laughs).

Fujiwara:Hey! We can't have that!

all of us(Laughter)