Demi Lovato once asked, “Who said you can’t wear Converse with your dress?”
Answer: Baby, it’s not us. After all, for the fashion lover who prefers daring kicks to her heels, Converse’s black-and-white All-Star logo is just as iconic as Louboutin’s red bottoms.
Actresses like Emma Roberts and Blake Lively, musical performers like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Madonna, former First Lady Michelle Obama and other celebrities have been photographed at Converse. Back in Spring 2022, Converse high-tops were popular with off-duty supermodels like Gigi Hadid and Kaia Gerber, and Gen Z also seems to appreciate the historic shoe.
A biannual Piper Sandler survey of teens found that Nike and Converse top the list of popular footwear brands, and young celebrities (and nepo babies, of course) have the stats right. It proves that. Zahara Jolie-Pitt stepped out with her mom in NYC in classic Converse paired with black pants and a navy sweater.
Starting out as a rubber shoe company in the early 1900s, the company has established itself as an authority on athletic apparel. The story of how the Converse of yesteryear became the Converse you know and love today is an interesting one.
Who founded Converse and when did the company start?
Converse was founded in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts by Marquis Mills Converse. Initially, the label was known as the “Converse Rubber Company” and its early inventory included utilitarian and functional footwear such as galoshes, leather duck his hunting his boots, and tennis shoes. I was.
But as the name suggests, Converse Rubber Company was more than just a shoe company. According to Sam Smallidge, the brand’s in-house archivist, the company made car tires and “anything you can make out of rubber.”
“[Converse] Make rubber products only in autumn, winter and spring, [Mr. Converse] We wanted to keep these people working over the summer,” Smallidge previously said. Mr. PorterSo by 1916, a complete line of basketball products had been introduced, with employees remaining on the assembly line throughout the year. The Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star was not far behind. It hit the market in 1917 and became an almost instant success during World War I and the impending Spanish flu pandemic.
What makes the Converse Chuck Tayor All-Star sneaker unique?
Basketball was invented in 1891. That means it will be 25 years before Converse puts a hat on his hoops of athletic footwear options. To ensure the label’s sneaker style stands out among its competitors, Creative his designers had to think outside the shoebox, so to speak.
The Chuck Taylor All-Star was designed with several key features that make the sneaker soar to the forefront of its category. Canvas high-tops include a cushioned insole for optimal arch and heel support, a heel patch for extra protection around the player’s ankle, a heel counter and double wing tongue to prevent chafing around the foot, and a shelf life. Army duck stretches his rubber. of shoes.Its diamond tread pattern is what gives the shoe an edge over its competitors. Mr. Porter“The shape allowed people to push in multiple directions and stop quickly.”
Who was Chuck Taylor’s style named after?
The Chuck Taylor All Star Sneaker is named after the late Charles ‘Chuck’ H. Taylor. Chuck H. Taylor was a professional basketball player for the Akron Firestones Non-Skids, an amateur industrial team founded by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. His passion for the potential of the All-Star sneaker inspired him to join Converse as a salesman and product marketer. He is now known as the first sneaker player ever to be his endorser.
Although he was not directly involved in the shoe’s original design, he traveled across the United States to promote it, and in 1932 the brand added “Chuck Taylor” to its signature ankle patch. But as far back as 1936, Taylor was involved in designing the brand’s sneakers for the United States Olympic team. This was All-Star’s first white his model and featured patriotic red and blue trim.
Taylor continued to promote the shoes during his stint as a captain in the United States Air Force during World War II and as a regional team coach. Thanks to Taylor, the shoe has become known as the official sneaker of the U.S. Armed Forces and the “it” shoe of professional, college and high school basketball players.
Reimagined colors and new cuts.
The Chuck Taylor All-Star sneaker was sold only as a high-top and was available in black and white until the 1960s. Converse introduced his Oxford (aka low-cut) style sneakers in 1962, and in 1966 he added seven color schemes so teams could color-coordinate their shoes and uniforms. Today, sneakers are available in a myriad of colorways and patterns and can be customized to suit your design preferences.
Who owns Converse?
Converse has been owned and operated by many over the years. Financial difficulties in 1929 caused the brand to go bankrupt, and Hodgman Lover, president of his company, Mitchell B. Kaufman, took over Marquis Mills. Unfortunately, Kaufman died a year later and the company was sold to Albert Welchester, who was in charge of Converse until the Great Depression hit, and he could no longer afford the business.
In 1939, Converse was sold to the Stone family, who owned the company until 1972. Eltra Corporation then acquired an up-and-coming athletic apparel brand and expanded its offerings to sporting goods such as hockey pucks and tooth guards. industrial products. However, as the economy deteriorated in the late 1970s, Eltra turned over control of Converse to its parent company, Allied His Corporation, and in 1983 Eltra executives raised enough money (a.k.a. $100 million) to buy back the brand. Got it.
Believe it or not, ownership has changed several times over the years. Interco bought Converse in 1986, but financial problems forced him to go bankrupt in 1991, and the apparel brand became an independent subsidiary of its parent company. Finally, in 2003 Nike acquired his Converse for her $309 million and remains the parent company to this day.
Converse didn’t enter the skate scene in the 1990s.
Converse made its name in basketball, but the brand is also recognized as a wardrobe staple in skaters’ closets. In the 90s, sneakers became popular in the skate and punk scenes, and the label saw it as an opportunity to cater to another demographic.
Converse wanted to push the boundaries of this category and designed the endorsed CS Pro 1, named after professional skateboarder Chany Jeanguenin. There was a helium capsule in the heel of the shoe. Although on the bulky side, the shoes were somehow lightweight and featured foam cushioning for added support.
Which are the most popular Converse shoes?
Today, Converse manufactures shoes in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes. Styles take countless plays from the original Chuck Taylor All-Star sneaker and include both high-top and low-top cuts, platforms, boots, and slip-ons.
According to Converse’s website, the low-top and high-top platform Chuck Taylor All-Star Lifts are the best-selling sneakers for women, while the Chuck Taylor All-Star Classic (high-top and low-top) and Chuck 70 Vintage Canvas are the men’s. We maintain the brand’s bestsellers in the category.
where to buy converse shoes
In short, almost any place you can think of. You can shop at the brand’s websites and brick-and-mortar stores, department stores like Nordstrom, shoe stores like Foot He Locker and his DSW, skate shops like Tilly’s and Journey’s, and online retailers like Amazon. You can buy it though. You can also explore countless customizable designs on Etsy.