Converse, legendary and century-old sneakers
Converse, an iconic brand
When it comes to longevity, it's hard to compete with the timeless Converse sneakers! Created by the American Marquis Mills Converse in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908, the brand has relied from the start on an original and innovative concept: non-slip rubber soles to avoid slipping!
When Converse was created, it was far from the famous sneakers we all know today. The brand was marketing at the time... furry boots! A positioning that may seem a posteriori completely improbable! Fortunately for all sneakerheads, the brand quickly realized that the market for lined boots was somewhat limited and adopted a completely new strategy.
Converse released its first sneakers in 1915, but it is two years later, in 1917, that the brand launched the model that will become cult: the Converse All Star was born.
The Chuck Taylor All Star became a legend
Created for the basketball court, the famous sneaker quickly made a name for itself in the world of professional basketball. Chuck Taylor himself, a basketball legend, adopts the All Star... not without some modifications (the original model apparently hurt his feet)!
Becoming an ambassador of the brand, the famous player popularized the All Star - renamed Chuck Taylor All Star in his honor - outside the basketball court. His name appears on the blue star patch that appears on each model at the ankle.
In the 50's and 60's, Converse All Star shoes were worn by some of the biggest celebrities of the time: Elvis Presley, James Dean, the Rolling Stones... Mick Jagger even got married in Converse in 1971!
The model crosses the times and continues to seduce the icons of fashion. Whatever their culture and style, from streetwear to punk rock, celebrities all snatch up Converse All Star, like the Ramones, Kurt Cobain and later Pharrell Williams, Scarlett Johansson, Millie Bob Brown (Stranger Things) or Julian Casablancas (The Strokes).
Collaborations and limited editions
Converse was a resounding success until the 1990s. But in the early 2000s, the brand is in the red. In 2003, Nike bought the company - for a whopping $305 million - and put it back on the fashion map.
To return to success, the brand with the Swoosh applies a recipe that has proven successful with other iconic models such as the Nike Air Force 1 or the Nike Dunk and continues with collaborations and limited editions. Until now, Converse sneakers were considered as commonplace and mainstream, but now they are available in rare editions, appreciated by sneakerheads and collectors.
Converse flirts as much with the world of luxury as with the sportswear and streetwear cultures: Converse x Missoni, Converse x Margiela, Converse x Comme des Garçons, Converse x Off-WhiteConverse x Golf Le Fleur, Converse x Virgil Abloh, Converse x Carhartt... The brand has even made some surprising and offbeat collaborations, such as the Converse x NASA sneakers or Converse x Nintendo.
Converse knows how to surf on trends and exploit the latest innovations. In 2019, the brand is launching an eco-responsible and sustainable collection called Renew. These eco-friendly sneakers are made from recycled materials: plastic bottles, cotton canvas scraps, old jeans, bags, paper envelopes... Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed!
Low, high, platform... to each his own !
Casual and urban style, original and offbeat or chic and elegant ... In converses, everything is possible!
Chuck Taylor All Star High Top, Chuck Taylor All Star Low Top, Chuck Taylor All Star Plateform High or Low Top, Chuck 70 High Top or Chuck 70 Low Top, Run Star Hike, Pro Leather, Jack Purcell... From the classic sneakers to the limited editions, the brand has known how to play with silhouettes (low, high or platform), materials (canvas, leather, recycled materials...) and colors (white, black, colored, with or without patterns...) to imagine innumerable models as diverse as varied.
If Converse sneakers are mixed, the brand explores different styles and declines its models in rather masculine or feminine universes without ever denying its DNA. Men, women, children... Everyone will find the Converse that suits them!
How do Converse shoes fit?
Converse shoes fit rather large: it is recommended to take a half size below your usual size.
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