When March 2026 kicked off, Sanrio and Converse announced a collection of Chuck Taylor All Star, Chuck 70, and Converse by You shoes and other merchandise with characters like Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Kuromi, and Pompompurin on them. Essentially, taking foundation-level items in the line and embellishing them with characters. Some of the items ended up being incredibly obvious about the collaboration, like the Hello Kitty Chuck Taylor 70 Swarovski pair or Chuck 70 Stickers or Chuck Taylor All Star BFFs design. After wearing the a pair of the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star Picnic sneakers, I feel like the limited collection is at its best when it’s slightly subtle about it.First, I do recommend going to an actual Converse store to try on a Chuck Taylor All Star before you place any order. While the official site noted it “runs large” and recommends ordering a half-size down, I found it was true to my actual size. Plus, depending on how you like to style and wear high-tops, you might want to be sure it isn’t too snug. Photos by SiliconeraThe one thing I would note is be prepared to play around with the laces a bit when you first get a pair of the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star shoes. They are a great fit that are quite comfortable when worn, but it really is about getting them the way you like them first. If you want to use every one of the eyelets, you might need to get longer laces. (In the case of this Picnic variety, that would also mean restringing the charms when you thread the laces.) If you’re unaccustomed to a high-top style, wear them for shorter distances while you get used to that extra support. Note that if you do decide to swap the laces, it will be a bit of an affair as there are four charms on them you’ll need to replace as you go along.Yup, I mentioned charms. If someone only quickly glances at the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star Picnic high-top sneakers while you’re wearing the pair, the shoes might look like a typical black and white plaid pair. But the second you spend a little more time looking at them, it feels obvious references and more subtle Easter eggs show up. The outside panel where the ankle logo would be on each shoe features the “Hello Kitty and Friends” logo and a photo of Hello Kitty surrounded by Kuromi, Keroppi, Cinnamoroll, My Melody, Chococat, Badtz Maru, Pompompurin, Tuxedosam, and Pochacco. There’s a strip of (fake) washi tape with Hello Kitty and Sanrio style tulips and daisies holding it in place. Other “sticker” designs shaped like elements such as a Sanrio-style crown, shoe, milk, star, rainbow, mushroom, and heart-shaped diamond surround it. What’s also special about this image is that each shoe has a different photo. The character’s expressions and poses are slightly changed, which is a great touch. On the inside of each show, the traditional Converse All Star ankle logo appears. That side also features additional “stickers” resembling things like strawberries and cherries. The heel patch license plate also proudly proclaims “Hello Kitty and Friends” with her red bow on the upper right corner on both shoes. Photos by SiliconeraBut when you start looking closer, it gets even more fun. On the right shoe, there are rainbow and cloud charms on the laces, and the left has blue sneaker and yellow star ones. The upper-most eyelets each look like silver Hello Kitty bows. They’re these little things that when you really look, you see there are extra nods to the characters and accents Sanrio includes with designs for its mascots, and they’re carefully woven into the overall look. But at the same time, the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star Picnic high-top sneakers aren’t inundated with those extras. I think the eyelet design is one of my favorite parts.Photos by SiliconeraOne of, because my actual favorite is something most people will never see and unfortunately will probably degrade with ordinary use. There are custom insoles for the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star Picnic high-tops that look like notebook paper and carry on the theme with their own design. The one in the right shoe is a little less exciting, as it just says “Converse” and “Hello Kitty and Friends” with the heart diamond, star, and crown “stickers” surrounding the logos. The left shoe, however, features additional “pictures” of the Sanrio mascots. It looks like a strip that comes out of a photo booth. At the top, Keroppi, Cinnamoroll, and Hello Kitty are together. The middle has Pochacco, Tuxedosam, Chococat, and Pompompurin striking a pose. The third feels like My Melody and Kuromi are fangirling over Badtz Maru. Again, the fake washi tape is “affixing” it to the lined notebook paper, with star and daisy “stickers” around it. It’s so good (and also so comfortable), so I know I have to leave it in and use it. But I’ve already taken so many pictures so I’ll remember how it looked after months and years of wear and tear.Photos by SiliconeraOh, right. These 100% feel like standard Converse quality shoes. The insoles are really substantial and comfortable, so they feel like they are for actual use and not just decoration. The picnic plaid of this particular design also feels really versatile and like it could go with lots of different outfits. The canvas fabric feels sturdy too. At the same time, since it isn’t a plain, white sneaker with accents, I’m a little less concerned about them getting dirty. Sure, the outsole is white, but since there aren’t any additional decorations on them aside from the black line, it’ll be easy enough to clean. (I’ve been wiping down the sides and the toe cap, just to be safe.) Converse also provides pretty detailed instructions for cleaning and it isn’t too difficult, especially since I’d want to hand-wash them and not toss limited edition shoes into a machine, so I’m feeling confident they’ll hold up.Basically, I feel like the Converse x Hello Kitty and Friends Chuck Taylor All Star Picnic high-top sneakers are limited edition shoes I don’t have to “baby.” I can actually wear and enjoy them. The design also means the Sanrio homage is also pretty obvious, but not garish. They feel like a practical sort of splurge.The Sanrio Converse Hello Kitty and Friends shoe collection and accessory lineup is available now.The post Converse x Hello Kitty Chuck Taylor All Star Are a Great Fit appeared first on Siliconera.