Converse unveils its newest concept of sneakers as the next generation of Chuck II. The innovative new model, called the Chuck II Reflective Print, proves that Converse is adopting a new approach to updating its shoes.

The Chuck II franchise was first launched in July. The initiative began in 2014 where the 108-year-old company's executives decided that their products needed to be updated. They realized that the Chucks models have become repetitive with updates only on the colors, graphics, and collaborations, even though the shoemaker has been acquired by Nike Inc. in 2003.

The new concept showed some differences from the classic Chuck Taylor. The Converse All-Star patch on the side is no longer stamped but embroidered. The shoelace eyelets are not silver but monochrome without the shiny effect. The shoes also have non-slip padded tongue and micro-suede lining. Chuck II also receive the Nike influence with its Nike Lunarlon footbeds. Many sneaker-enthusiasts commented that although the new collection is comfortable, it has lost the true concept of Chuck Taylors and has lost a bit of style compared to the classic version.

The new Converse's Reflective Print adopt the changes in the Chuck II franchise. "When creating the latest version of our successful Chuck II sneaker, we were inspired by our consumers and being able to further enhance their creative and active lifestyles," said product director at Converse Ryan Case, as quoted byFootwear News. Case further explained the distinctive feature between the Chuck II and the new collection of Reflective Print. "With the Chuck II Reflective Print, we've given our consumers a sneaker that provokes personal style while enhancing visibility in low light, enabling them to do more of what they enjoy throughout the day or night.

According to KicksonFire, The reflective print models in the collection are specially designed to improve visibility. The shoemaker aims to provide users with some more functionality aside from the visual aesthetics of the design. Reflective shoes could help users doing their activities in low-light places or at night and give users a safety benefit. 

According to Bloomberg, in 2003 Converse had annual sales of around $200 million. In 2015, the amount surged to nearly $2 billion, or about 6.5 percent of Nike's total sales. However, the company faces decline in sales in the last two-quarters of the last three years. The shoemaker blamed a weaker euro and anemic sales in the U.K for the slowdown while sales remained strong and stable in the U.S.

Converse is paying more attention to functionality and comfort to update its shoes, besides keeping on improving the look and visual design. With the new approach, the shoe company expects that its products could give more to users. Converse unveiled its newest Chuck II Reflective Print with functionality updates.