Converse – World-Famous Shoes
Just about everyone has had a pair of these very special shoes lying around somewhere or is perhaps even wearing them at this very moment. We are talking about no less than the footwear brand Converse.
Converse
Whenever this name is mentioned, everyone has a certain image in mind. Converse sneakers simply have that unmistakable look that is probably familiar to just about everyone on the planet. They carry with them an undeniable cult status, even if nowadays they may have already lost to other brands due to the stiff competition. But no matter how strong other shoe brands may be, the extremely popular Chucks will simply always remain timeless. So, it's all the better that Converse has been putting out new releases in recent months to revive the brand's cult status. But let's finally get to the legendary history...
Converse - Already Successful 100 Years Ago?
The famous label started its career as early as 1908. At that time, however, they produced very special rubber shoes, which don't really have much in common with today's sneakers. To be honest, it didn't stay that way for very long. Converse changed its orientation in a relatively short time and used rubber for the production of sneakers instead. But if you take a look at the label's very first colourway, you would hardly think of the immense success of the later shoes. The brown high-top sneaker with a black sole would probably generate anything but hype by today's standards. However, it took a few more years before production got underway and the universally known silhouette saw the light of day. The sales of the Converse shoes logically did not shoot up immediately after its release, but rather started slowly. Trainers like the Converse were not really seen as casual wear in the past and were therefore primarily worn for sports. The sneaker was mainly worn by athletes, and this was not to change for a long time. In 1920, the Converse was renamed "All-Star" for the first time, particularly for basketball. The name stuck with the masses and was expanded shortly afterwards to include the name Chucks. This name comes from the famous basketball player Charles "Chuck" Taylor. The renaming and the new focus on a different segment got things rolling and opened up completely new avenues for Converse.
Unfortunately, not everything in their history has always been as rosy as it might first appear. The competition in the sneaker segment has, unsurprisingly, always been very strong, and Nike dominated the basketball segment enormously from the 1980s onwards. After the death of its namesake Charles Taylor in 1968, the brand experienced wild changes in management and leadership. A series of unfortunate events ultimately caused Converse to file for bankruptcy in 2001. This circumstance, of course, offered big competitor Nike the perfect opportunity to buy out the brand and give it a chance to regenerate. Logically, this provided an immense boost for the label. To avoid a conflict with the other models by the Swoosh, Converse naturally had to slowly move away from the basketball segment. As a result, a number of sneakers were created for the lifestyle sector, which could be worn for a wide variety of occasions. The Converse brand was no longer exclusive to basketball shoes for athletes, but it finally manifested itself as a synonym for street style and everyday life. The popularity of the shoes was raised to a new level and didn't look like it was going to go down anytime soon. No matter where you were, whether in the club or simply on the street, the Converse was virtually everywhere. The ease of combining the shoe with various outfits made it perfect for a stylish casual look.
Converse - Timeless Sneaker
If you think that the Converse brand is somehow already extinct today, you're quite wrong. Collaborations in particular have revived the hype around the Converse time and again and attracted a lot of media attention. In 2018, too, there were some really bold features that surely knocked your socks off. The Off-White x Nike collab alone also created a lot of hype for Converse.
Already in the past, some people wanted to get a piece of the Chucks hype, and the label was never really averse to these features. In the past, there was already a really fat collab with the great Michael Jordan. Of course, the crossover with Comme des Garçons, which produced the special design with the half red heart, is also worth mentioning. Obviously, the Converse still offers a lot of potential for further features. So, keep your eyes and ears open for future releases. We are sure that there will be a lot more to come. To make sure you do, subscribe to our Grailify newsletter or just download our free Grailify app!