Converse Basketball’s Weapon Is Now a Chunky Skate Shoe

Converse’s Weapon PLTS OX is a beefy delight. A low-top descendent of Converse’s 1986 Weapon basketball sneaker, the Weapon PLTS OX has been modernized to offer a lighter, more fluid silhouette. 

Decked with a leather upper for a comfy fit and an EVA rubber sole to keep things lightweight, Converse’s Weapon PLTS OX shoe appears to offer more comfort than its buff build might suggest.

The muted color scheme keeps things delicate, which is no small feat for such a presence-hogging sneaker. 

Releasing in Japan in August with beige/pink and cream/off-white colorways, these shoes are just about as neutrally as it gets.

Don’t let the blushed tones fool you, though; this is far from a ballet shoe. The Weapon PLTS OX is a flat chunkster that mirrors the builds of durable skate shoes like the New Balance 480 or the Vans Upland sneaker.

These creamy colorways may be a nod to a classic Converse basketball shoe but, thanks to a heroically hefty sole, this low-top shoe carries a bit more weight than its predecessor.

This silhouette is the aggressive leather opposite of the pliable cotton composition of the Converse’s hero Chuck Taylor high-top, but there is an acknowledgment of tradition in both sneakers that is worth noting.

Despite the Weapon PLTS OX’s basketball past and present — basketball star and tunnel-fit-killer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the current director of basketball for the brand — there is an unmistakable skate-friendly aura wafting from the sneaker, especially in its all-flat supersole.

Sure, Converse may not be known for skatewear in the same way as Vans, but Converse has definitely been putting points on the (skate)board, however incrementally.

The Converse Louie Lopez Pro Mid and the CONS AS-1 PRO are a few tip-of-tongue skate sneakers that speak to Converse’s navigation of the skate scene.

The Weapon PLTS OX is just a chunkier approach to a lane Converse has been…