Get to know the new Converse x Vaquera VX-1 Heel as seen on Kim Petras.

Converse and the Chuck Taylor are synonymous – a sneaky suspicion I had confirmed by the Head of Product Chavon Webster. When I met her in Paris earlier this year, she stated that it’s “the soul of the brand,” no pun intended. It’s also a fact that consistency and repetition is a guaranteed tactic to establish a brand’s identity, hence the Chuck’s enduring legacy since its naming in 1932. But as with any established look comes the challenge of flipping it on its head. How does Converse evolve past its iconography?

The Converse x Vaquera VX-1 Heel is the latest answer to that incessant dilemma. Released earlier this week, the shoe takes form in a remixed version of the CS Pro-1, a late ’90s skate shoe pulled straight from the archives. Naturally, a chunky lace closes it off, while the surprise addition of a kitten heel gives it that signature Vaquera edge that trudges the lines between cool and campy. Nostalgia in front, kitty party in the back, if you will.

It feels only fitting, then, that the Grammy-winning artist who has soundtracked many campy-cool parties, Kim Petras, stars in the accompanying campaign. Finding herself in a tiny doll house, Petras embodies the spirit of the VX-1 Heel; petite in its relative proportions but mighty in the space it rightfully takes up.

This skate-inspired show comes as the second collaboration between the footwear giant and the NYC-based label. This time last year, Vaquera took on the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star, blew it up into a canvas wedged boot, resulting in two silhouettes – one ankle-length and the other knee-high. Keeping to Converse’s music-rooted community, it was the American rapper and model Cortisa Star who unveiled the shoe.

The Converse x Vaquera VX-1 Heel is now available for purchase online and at select retailers.