A Converse History
In his late 30s, Marquis M. Converse left his job as a manager of a footwear manufacturing firm and opened the Boston Rubber Shoe Company (later referred to as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company). The year was 1908 and Converse’s product was winterized rubber soled footwear for both men and women. With this Converse achieved moderate success, and in 1915 he branched out to manufacture tennis shoes. The company’s big breakthrough, however, would come on a different court.
In 1917, the sport of basketball was itself only 25 years old. Converse decided to design a shoe for the infant sport that was steadily gaining popularity. What he developed was the Converse “All-Star” basketball shoe. For four years, the All-Star was at best a moderate local success. Then, one day, a basketball player by the name of Charles H. “Chuck” Taylor walked into Converse to complain about his sore feet and see if the sneaker company could do anything about them. What they did was give him a job. Converse hired Chuck Taylor on the spot to be their salesman and promoter. His name eventually became synonymous with the “All-Star,” and in 1923 his signature was added to the sneaker’s patch and Converse became the official shoe of the National Basketball Association.
During the Second World War Converse switched gears and went into full scale production of footwear and apparel for soldiers.
Converse enjoyed a great deal of popularity throughout the 50s, 60s, 70s, but in the late 70s and into the 80s, Converse lost its market share to newcomers Nike, Adidas, and Reebok who were all introducing new and innovative designs. Converse continued to decline and filed for bankruptcy in 2001. All manufacturing was moved overseas to Asian countries. In recent years Converse experienced an explosive resurgence, no longer as a basketball shoe, but as a trendy street sneaker.
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Converse Sneak-Facts:
• In 2003, Nike bought Converse for $305 million.
• The Converse “Chuck Taylor All-Star” is the most successful shoe in history. By the turn of the 21st century, over 600 million pairs have been sold worldwide.
• No Sweat Apparel is currently making a Converse look alike under fair labor conditions to offer an alternative to the sweatshop produced Nike version.
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Notable Models:
Chuck Taylor All-Star
The shoe that launched the company, the “All-Star” is the original basketball sneaker. From its inception in 1917 until 1966 the “All-Star” was only available in black and white. In the late sixties, as a result of pressure from basketball teams, Converse began to color the Chuck. Around this time Converse also got creative with materials, making “All-Stars” out of everything from leather to suede, vinyl, and even hemp (previously the “All-Star” was only made of canvas). The “All-Star” comes in three heights, low-top (also known as an “Oxford”), high-top, and knee-high.
The Weapon
Released in 1986, “The Weapon” is a heavily padded leather basketball shoe. The sneaker was released in a variety of colors to match the colors of basketball teams. “The Weapon” comes in low-top and high-top. In 2002 Converse re-released “The Weapon and put out “The Loaded Weapon,” a variation of the original, in 2003.
The One-Star
Introduced in the 1970s, the “One-Star” uses the same sole as the “All-Star.” Earlier production models had a black heel patch, while later production had a white heel patch. Kurt Cobain, lead singer of Nirvana, was wearing black “One-Stars” when he shot himself. The “One-Star” was originally released in four variations:
1. Standard
2. Stars and Stripes
3. Stars and Chevron
4. Coach
In 1999, Converse released the “EZ Chuck,” another variation of the “One-Star”
The Jack Purcell
Much like Chuck Taylor with Converse, Jack Purcell, famed 1930’s badminton player, had a shoe dedicated to him by BFGroodrich, a tire company that also made sneakers. In the early 1970s, BFGoodrich left the sneaker industry and Converse acquired the rights to make Jack Purcells. One of the most notable features of the sneakers is the blue rubber around the front end. Converse calls this the “smile.”
John Varvatos
A unique collaboration between the designer and the shoe company, Converse by John Varvatos brings classic old world details into the modern Converse sneaker. John Varvatos puts his spin on the Converse line, reworking originals such as the Chuck Taylors and the Jack Purcells with premium materials and design sensibilities. Varvatos’ Chuck Taylors are designated by their lack of shoe laces. The partnership began as a limited edition coupling, but was so successful Varatos and Converse have united for the long-term.
