The Converse Auckland white converse Racer has been one of the more diverse silhouettes in the CONS lineup simply by how many times it has been reinvented over the past couple of seasons. One might remember the collaborative effort with Missoni not too long ago, or even the Animal Print Pack that warped the silhouette into something barely recognizable to its original form. The latest Auckland Racer features an "Engineered Canvas Jacquard" aesthetic, complete with a woven construction on top in two vibrant standouts. The rubber insole and speckled outsole may immediately call comparisons to the Roshe Run , but with lignering 3M accents, this premium take should stand out on its own.

Really, this element is just externalizing the support found in a variety of vulc-soled basketball hightops including the Nike Blazer, but it does indeed set these off and along with the luxe materials gives these two new pairs a nice premium feel. Converse Japan converse shoes debuted its Addict-level Jack Purcells this month, but they're Far East exclusives. For US sneakerheads, the First String line is a premium alternative, and this new pack of  Kasuri' Converse Jack Purcell Johnnys makes good on the series commitment to top-tier excellence.

First off is a diagonal stripe of microperforations surrounding converse high tops the side panel Stars, which serves to subtly emphasize the branding and also lead your eye to the unique sole. These joints have their traditional kickplate applied not in molded rubber, but rather, in the form of a stitched-on strip of leather with the typical texture simply embossed into its surface. The entire sole is sewn together like this, and including a leather foxing band, it serves to give a unique layered look. Check out more shots after the jump and look for these at select Converse retailers soon. via ST

Converse First String is potentially the breakout division of the year across all leather converse major sneaker brands, having scored some superb collaborations to bolster the in-house efforts. These have come on several different silhouettes with more variety being added with some degree fo regularity, but you'll never get away from the versatility and everyman appeal of the classic Chuck Taylor. The new Converse Chuck Taylor Bosey (including the brand new lowtop version) highlights the Holiday 2012 First String lineup, and is joined by Premium level renditions on the All Star (both  Post' and  Glitz' variants), as well as a couple of top-notch OGs in their own right in the Jack Purcell and Auckland Racer.

The Converse Pro Leather Zip showed up first in Pinecone and Oak over the weekend; what else might it be capable of given the precedent set by this tonal brown debut? Navy blue is a logical next step, and this one goes with Orion Blue mixing one grade of suede with a significantly nappier texture on the toe. Brown leather laces give these an elegant feel to balance the rugged appeal of boot-like hook eyelets and the namesake brass zipper. The latest First String drop has a high quality look you'll see in more photos below, then grab a pair from top Converse retailers including End .

Nike's cheap converse naming conventions can be kinda confusing for the average onlooker. You've got Premiums, Supremes, Quickstrikes, and the list goes on. With the Converse First String collection, you know pretty well what to expect right off the bat. We're talking top of the line quality applied to the One Star's all-star silhouettes. In this case, we're being literal, as these Converse Chuck Taylor All Star lowtops come to us in deluxe black or blue chambray, with a purple edition dropping later this year. Expect these at <�a href="st and <�a href="st; they'll retail for $70 when they drop later this month.