Magic and Bird's Converse Sneakers Get Premium Updates

Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's Converse Weapon sneakers dropped in a limited-edition collaboration. IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Magic and Bird's Converse Sneakers Get Premium Updates

Originally posted on Kicks on SI | By Charles J. Flanagan | Last updated May 2, 2026 8:44 AM ET

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I was six years old in 1986. Growing up as a Los Angeles kid, a Lakers kid, the Converse Weapon was what greatness looked like on your feet. Los Angeles Lakers superstar Magic Johnson wore them. Even All-Star James Worthy wore them. Those guys were defining basketball in real time, and the Weapon was right there with them. Some things just get locked in.

On the other side of the country, kids growing up as Boston Celtics fans felt the same way about the Converse Weapon. Only Celtics legend Larry Bird wore his signature black-and-white colorway. So when Converse and Engineered Garments announced this collaboration, it took me back to that unforgettable error.

Converse Weapon History

Converse

The Weapon launched in 1986 and lasted two years in production. Two years. The footprint it left on basketball culture has never been forgotten, largely because of who was in it. Magic. Bird. Worthy. Three players, two rival teams, and one shoe connecting them. Converse had the culture's undivided attention, and the Weapon was the crown jewel.

Engineered Garments has been building one of the most respected names in utilitarian design since 1999. They study construction, function, and history, then push familiar forms somewhere new. Applied to the Weapon, that instinct creates something grounded in history and modern in execution.

Converse x Engineered Garments

Converse

They brought it down to a low-top. That alone is a statement. Full-grain leather paneling gives the upper real depth and structure. Perforated detailing sharpens the profile. The Y-Bar ankle straps are the Engineered Garments signature, functional and intentional, the detail that makes you look twice. Co-branded woven tongue labels and insole branding close it out without overloading it. Clean.

Two colorways: "Vintage White and Yellow" and "Black and Vintage White." Both are direct references to the original retro colorways that put the Weapon on the map. Converse went back to the source and let Engineered Garments handle the evolution. The Vintage White and Yellow carry that Laker energy. For me, that one's personal.

Shopping Information

Converse

This is the second time these two brands have linked up, following a One Star collection back in 2017. The Weapon is a bigger canvas. More legacy to honor. They threaded the needle between respect and reinvention and it shows.

The Converse x Engineered Garments Weapon dropped on May 1 at Converse.com. The Vintage White and Yellow colorway is also available through the Nike SNKRS App. Unfortunately for old-school NBA fans, the sneakers are selling out fast. Fans who miss the initial drop can find the kicks on trusted sneaker resale websites like StockX and GOAT.

This article first appeared on Sneakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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