So you think you want more burn?

In the early days of basketball, that meant literally more burn!

Games were played in cages. Mostly to protect the players from the spectators. But not from each other. And not from the pot belly stoves on all 4 sides of the court. Or the cigars of opposing fans.

Flesh sizzled.

Players got tic-tac-toe lacerations on their arms, legs, shoulders, thighs … as they were crushed and sandwiched and pinned against the wire mesh. Think of the chain link fence at W. 4th Street with no out of bounds and no timeouts.

That, my friends, was cage burn.

Introducing the new Black Fives “Cage Burn” Pieced-Leather All Stars by Converse.

These are just, well, sick.

Inspired by the early cage burn days, these new All Stars are as completely traditional as you expect in terms of fit and comfort. Yet they have some unique, innovative features that no one’s ever seen before.

For example, the eyelets are wood-like. The leather is pieced together in hand-crafted striping that looks like old-world clay sculpture masterwork. And the stripes themselves are reminiscent of the vintage socks worn by the New York Renaissance Big Five of Harlem. The insole contains a vintage diagram of an antique caged basketball court layout. The laces are leatherized.

These shoes will stand out so totally that people will wonder what the f**k is going on.

Giving you a beautiful chance to tell a story! These must start a conversation like a point guard must create a play. But don’t miss that easy layup!

Once again, Converse has taken a classic shoe and made it into something entirely new. Once again, they make history now!

I invite you to visit the Black Fives Online Gift Shop to browse these new styles, while our limited supply lasts!

Meanwhile, please share your opinion. What do you think of these?

Some spacing!