KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse, Nike
Karina of aespa has joined Converse as a new face of the brand with her first campaign for the iconic footwear and lifestyle label arriving today.
The K-pop singer, rapper and dancer makes her brand debut with two shoes drawn from opposite ends of a shared lineage: the Chuck 70 X, a refined update of the most recognizable silhouette in the company’s catalog, as well as the Run Star Crush, a platform-heavy variation of the classic. Converse frames the pairing as fusing “heritage with experimentation,” with Karina cast as an artist who comfortably embraces both.
“Both on stage and off, I love breaking the mold and exploring my individuality through style and Converse is a natural canvas for that,” Karina said in a media statement. “I’m excited to join the Converse family and inspire others to celebrate their creativity and express themselves boldly.”
After debuting as aespa’s leader in 2020, Karina has built one of the most closely watched style profiles in K-pop with the Converse deal arriving as she’s become a front row regular for Milan and Paris Fashion Week while previously collaborating with Converse Korea in 2024 and 2025, including rocking Converse kicks for the March 2025 digital cover of GQ Korea. That she can carry a luxury house and an American heritage sneaker label at the same time, without either partnership reading as a stretch, proves her wide-ranging appeal.
The campaign lands during a particularly busy stretch of aespa’s career. The Forbes Asia – 30 Under 30 – Entertainment & Sports honorees made their Lollapalooza debut this past Sunday, August 2, taking the stage for a roughly hour-long, career-spanning set that opened with “Black Mamba” and included the first live performance of their Ty Dolla $ign collaboration “Switchblade” with the rapper-singer joining them live at Chicago’s Grant Park. The official music video for the track followed days later.
“Switchblade” comes off the back of aespa’s strongest U.S. chart performance in years, after the group’s LEMONADE album debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, the quartet’s highest chart entry and first Top 10 entry in three years. To date, LEMONADE has sold more than one million copies worldwide.
On the fashion side, aespa has been selected as an ambassador for luxury fashion houses, Korean cosmetics and skincare, sportswear, watches, footwear, fragrances, contact lenses, and lifestyle brands. Meanwhile, Karina has been the face of campaigns for luxury beauty, tourism, alcohol, footwear, food and beverages, coffeehouses, professional sports, sportswear, jewelry, technology, automobiles, eyeglasses, sunglasses, dolls and more. Now, Karina adds Converse sneakers to her influential list of items.
Check out the two styles Karina is repping with first-look photos from her new Converse campaign below.
KARINA for Converse’s Run Star Crush
Available globally right now, the Run Star Crush takes the familiar upper design from Chucks and melds it into a molded foam midsole. The result is a chunky, deliberately warped proportion that reads equal parts fashion and sneaker culture. It sits in the same lineage as Converse’s other designs with stance and lift, but pushes further, trading the classic flat Chuck profile for something more sculptural.
Specifically, the detailing borrows from an athletic design with Converse citing modern running trends as the reference point. The midsole is exaggerated through the arch with a curve that gives the shoe’s profile a sporty, almost avant-garde line while a clip at the arch holds the foam structure in place.
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
Converse Fall ’26 Run Star Crush
Courtesy of Converse
KARINA for Converse’s Chuck 70 X
The Chuck 70 X is update on a classic.
Built on the original Chuck 70 shape, the new Chuck 70 X keeps the retro proportions intact while reworking several details, including dual-star markings on the rubber bumper and topmost eyelets, a revised leather patch logo, and a toe cap and finish that give it a gently aged look. The shoes also come with a tongue stabilizer that keeps them from sliding around in everyday wear. This is a heritage Converse design tuned for a generation that grew up on Chucks, now more considered and modernized, with Converse sharing that the “X” stands for infinite possibility.
The Chuck 70 X is currently on sale in China and Korea, with its global launch, including U.S. availability on Converse.com and at select retailers, set for August 27.
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
KARINA of aespa for Converse
Courtesy of Converse
Converse Fall ’26 Chuck 70x
Courtesy of Converse
Alongside this campaign, aespa’s North American leg of their SYNK: COMPLæXITY World Tour performs across Mexico, Canada and the United States in September and October. The tour will hit the U.K. and Europe at the top of next year. Beyond touring, aespa released their first Japanese EP Kiss n Tell just last month, with the title track reaching the Top 40 of the Billboard Japan Hot 100.
With all of aespa and Karina’s activities pushing the group into markets beyond their home of South Korea, the timing for this Converse deal is all the more ideal, as it welcomes a new face whose group is the most visible it has been in the American and international markets.
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