Socks are fun 75-percent of the time, but when the heavy summer heat hits, nothing feels better than slipping your bare feet into a pair of light, breathable shoes. Sure, by the end of the day shoes with no socks get rather clammy, but there’s talcum powder and/or Febreeze for that. With out further ado, here are 10 shoes that you can wriggle those toes freely in after the solstice.

Other Guides:
8 Jackets for Spring and Summer
10 Pairs of Wet Shorts – Swim Trunks

See our 10 shoe picks on the following page.

We posted a current Missoni x Converse shoe this morning and while doubling up on the same story in one day is not our bag, we do need to note the announcement of the fifth collaborative series from the collection. Missoni for Converse Chuck Taylor All Star for Spring 2012 – series 5 – features two styles for women and one unisex style that works for the gents. They hit select shops – Missoni stores globally, Jeffrey’s, Fred Segal, Aloha Rag in NYC and Honolulu – this Saturday, April 14.

We show the unisex style above.

See more detailed images of the new Missoni x Cons on the following page.

Not the most obvious of collaborations, we continue to be impressed by Missoni’s efforts for Converse. The Chuck Taylor has always been the perfect canvas for just about anything. The results aren’t always our thing but these multi-coloured ‘Space Dyed’ knit hi-tops avoid any unnecessary wackiness, whilst offering an interesting alternative to those ever reliable scuffed white Chucks. Find them at Haven.

Our long time retail partner and friends at Need Supply have put together their best in-house lookbook for the goods and products being served from their Richmond, VA shop. Very well done and with a touch of ivy/sports humor. Spend some time in here for looks from A.P.C., Common Projects, Mansai, Converse, and many others.

View many more looks from the Need Supply shop lookbook for Spring 2012 on the following page.

From Axl Rose to AC/DC, Metallica to The Rolling Stones, Converse has made a name for itself by joining forces and creating distinct shoes with some of the biggest and most innovative musical groups in the past few decades. For 2012, Converse has teamed up with the virtually based but very real and very famous Gorillaz, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, and the release of the Converse signature, ‘Three Artists. One Song’ – an original track titled ‘Do Ya Thing’ featuring Gorillaz, James Murphy and Andre 3000 of OutKast.

Releasing on February 23rd are four unique design concepts, which combine the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star silhouette with the award-winning designs of Gorillaz co-creator, Jamie Hewlett. Each exclusive design incorporates elements from their groundbreaking artwork creating a distinctive collection inspired by the band.

The collection features military inspired camouflage print, taken from the cover of their self-titled debut, a black/brown canvas hi-top in the same military vein, and others with a collage of images from their album artwork created specifically for this collaboration.

For those in the London area on February 15th, the Gorillaz Sound System will play at the legendary 100 Club in London to celebrate the collection and upcoming release of ‘Do Ya Thing.’ Please visit www.converse.co.uk or www.gorillaz.com for more details and ticket info.

The free track will be available for download at www.facebook.com/converse on February 23, 2012 with a video releasing on the 29th.

- Joy Yoon

More looks in our gallery…

Canstruction is a competition held each year in New York, utilising artists can-based sculptures. It’s all for charity and some of the sculptures include a Converse Chuck Taylor, that Alexander McQueen shoe and, of course, an Angry Birds sculpture. (Fubiz)

Take a leap to see more.

This summer, Amsterdam’s Tenue de Nimes delivered a well received hand dyed indigo Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low. The sold out of the short run in no time. We heard talk that they would be back again in high-top form and here they are. As Highsnobiety tells us, “50 pairs of the shoes were dyed by the Manabe family from Okoyama – owners of Japanese denim label Momotaro and the Rampuya dyeing factory. The shoes, each of which is unique and hand-numbered, will be available November 26th at Tenue de Nimes.”

More at Highsnobiety.

The Varvatos work with Converse, by some people’s theories, looked to have been a short relationship. Truth of the matter is the line actually gets better by the season. These Pro Leather sneakers from the Autumn/Winter 2011 collection come in in low dark olive or dark brown on the high-top. Waxed suede uppers finish them nicely. Por Vocacao has them.

More looks after the click.

We like Jack Purcell’s but we hate their insoles. So, you can imagine the quandary we’re in (yes, it is a quandary these problems matter) when a new version of the trainer comes out. Especially when they’re in a handsome burgundy leather. Actually, we might have been a tad dramatic a couple of sentences ago – we’d just put different insoles in them. (Crooked Tongues)

The First String line from Converse is doing an incredible job of elevating the brand into a position that deserves attention. An great example is this SAK made collaborative doctor’s bag made from Italian brown leather. It features hands, a detachable shoulder strap and Converse sole prints on the interior bottom. 14 total bags were produced. Aloha Rag has them.

More looks after the click.