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First conversions. History of the Converse brand. Sneakers for bright people

The history of the brand begins in 1908, then an experienced manager of a winter footwear company Marcus Converse, opens his own shoe company Converse. Initially, the company focused on the manufacture of family shoes, but in 1915 the assortment was replenished with sports models. Two years later, under the company logo, the world's first basketball shoes are released - Converse All Star.

In 1918, wearing the legendary All-Star sneakers, the basketball player begins his career Charles Taylor, who in 1921 officially joins Converse and releases his signature sneaker model - Chuck Taylor All-Star.

Taylor's shoes are becoming incredibly popular, while reaching different categories of buyers: in Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers you can see both a professional athlete and an ordinary teenager. The company, in turn, becomes the representative of the basketball sport in the country and shoes most of the basketball teams. At this time, the factory undertakes to produce sneakers for the first African-American team - New York Renaissance, whose successful game in subsequent years will serve as confirmation of the quality of Converse products.

In 1941, during the Second World War, the company changes priorities and begins to produce shoes for pilots and infantry. In addition to traditional sneakers, which have become the official shoes of the US troops, Converse designs for the air force A6 Flying boots.

In 1949, professional basketball players of the mass wear Chuck Taylor All-Star. Among ordinary Americans, Converse sneakers are also at the peak of popularity, after the war period, when shoes were made in dark colors, the company produces sneakers in a variety of colors, which makes them popular among children and young people.

In the 1960s and 70s, to maintain the image of a sports brand, Converse, in addition to a large number of shoes, produces lines of clothing and accessories for various sports. At the same time, a variety of subcultures pick up the fashion for Converse sneakers, hippies and punks easily combine leather jackets, jeans, T-shirts with All-Star. The brand's shoes are also preferred by the musicians of the bands Nirvana, Pantera, Green Day, Ramones, who use sneakers, both in everyday life and on stage.

The decline in the popularity of Converse shoes began in the late 1980s, when the company could not cope with the competition. Nike, Reebok and Adidas, which are increasingly presenting new footwear with the use of innovative technologies aimed at the comfort of using shoes.

Converse sneakers no longer meet the fashion trends of the time, retaining their conservatism, and soon the demand for shoes becomes minimal

In 1995, Converse was acquired by ApexOne However, things do not go better and in 2001 the Converse brand declares itself bankrupt.

In 2003, Converse is acquired by Nike, which is its owner and still is. Under the new management, many Converse models have been re-released, many have been redesigned by Nike designers and presented in new styles. Nike's work on Converse shoes has drawn criticism from fans of the classic All-Stars, but despite this, Converse managed to resume sales of their products.

More than just footwear, Converse is the story of legendary athletes, innovators united by their love of the sport. And this story goes on for almost a century.
When Marquis M. Converse opened his Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, in 1908, he had no idea that he was making history by creating Idol for all of America. The birth of the company. The young Marquis M. Convers set up a company to manufacture insulated winter boots. Soon the world's first sports shoes for tennis were released. And then, during the birth of the American Basketball League, Converse released the first dedicated All Star basketball shoes.

1908 - Opening of the Converse Rubber Shoe Company
1910 - Converse makes 4,000 pairs of shoes a day
1915 - Converse launches the world's first dedicated tennis shoe
1917 - Debut of the world's first specialized basketball shoes - Converse All Star
1918 - Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor donned his first All Star pair The Galloping Twenties. The success of Converse tennis shoes has been astounding. But the company did not stop there and, together with Chuck Taylor, the most progressive player of his time, introduced its latest basketball products to millions of Americans. Converse did more than just shoes, the company created a national treasure. All the most famous teams that brought improvisation to basketball, expressed in fast competent team play, wore shoes of our brand. Before there was “old school” Converse and the pioneers of the game who wore our shoes set the boundaries that everyone else is trying to achieve to this day. Converse is The First School ™ - the true owners of the soul of basketball.
1921 - Chuck Taylor joins Converse to help improve sole resiliency and ankle support 1922 - Chuck Taylor opens first basketball school at North Carolina State University
1923 - A KEY MOMENT in Converse history: Converse adds Chuck Taylor's signature to the All Star logo
1923 - Converse launches shoes for the New York Renaissance, America's first professional basketball team. Specialized in team play, the “Rens” set an impressive record of winning 2588 matches with 539 losses, and became one of the most successful teams in the history of basketball. 30-50s Basketball is becoming more and more popular. Converse and basketball are synonymous with Chuck Taylor ® All Star ®. Hollywood becomes an arena for popularization of Chuck Taylor All Star (a.k.a. “Chucks”, “Cons”, “Connies”), thereby infusing the All Star spirit with traditional attributes of American culture such as jeans and soda.
1935 - World famous badminton champion Jack Purcell creates light and comfortable professional badminton shoes with his signature Smile™ logo on Converse, which soon become a hallmark of Hollywood and bad boys style
1935 - Chuck Taylor once again revolutionizes basketball with the first leather sneakers.
1936 - The first Olympic basketball tournament is held. Team USA, equipped with Chuck Taylor All Star, crushes Team Canada in the match for first place 19-8
1939 - The first NCAA Basketball Championship was held and both participating teams wore the Converse All Star 1942 - To support the army in World War II, Converse designs and manufactures the innovative A 6 Flying Boot, which served as the uniform for all US Army airborne paratroopers
1946 - Holcombe Rucker organizes the world famous Rucker Professional Summer Basketball Tourney in Harlem. Converse All Star were witnesses and active participants in the birth of street basketball culture
1949 - The Basketball Association of America and the National League merged to form the NBA. All professional players at the time wore the Chuck Taylor All Star.
1957 - Seven-year-old basketball player Julius Erving begs his mother to buy him his first pair of Chuck Taylor ® All Star ® for $3.95.

Wearing Converse throughout his professional basketball career, Julius, better known as “Dr.J”, created a completely new element and style of over the hoop, the overhead shot, which has become an integral part of today's basketball. 60-70s Converse releases new collections of shoes, clothes and accessories for basketball, tennis, American football, wrestling and other sports. The world's athletic elite wear Converse. Hollywood's love for Converse continues to grow. The division between the world of sports and fashion becomes illusory. Converse is quick to respond to new trends by adding new colors and materials to its soy collection.
1962 - Set the NBA record for the most points scored per game by one player - 100 points. The record, unbroken so far, is set in the Chuck Taylor All Star
1962 - Converse develops and releases a low version of the All Star called the "oxford"
1966 - Converse adds seven new colors to the Chuck Taylor All Star range to match the colors of teams playing in the NBA
1968 - Chuck Taylor inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame
1974 - Converse introduces the "One Star", a low-top basketball shoe that became very popular with extreme sportsmen.

1974 - In every college, 8 out of 10 people on the team play Converse All Star
1976 - Julius Erving signs a contract with Converse and releases the Pro Leather signature model, which became known as “The Dr.J” 80-90s Converse invests in the development of new technologies, at the same time Chuck Taylor All Star remains one of the main lines in American culture.
1981 - Converse opens one of the industry's first biomechanical laboratories
1982 - The NCAA championship is won by a team equipped with White / Carolina Pro Leathers, later called the "Buzzer Beater"
1984 - Converse is the official sponsor of the 1984 Olympics. The US national basketball team wins the tournament equipped with Converse.
1985 - Converse Labs develops the industry's first foot stress reduction system, energy recovery technology and motion control system
1986 - Converse releases Weapon™
1991 - Larry Johnson - this year's NBA Rookie of the Year - performs as "Grandma-Ma" - a character who is quickly becoming a cult
1992 - Converse releases the latest REACT® technology to improve the cushioning, stability and support of basketball shoes
1996 - For the first time since the 1970s, the Chuck Taylor ® All Star ® logo appears on a basketball shoe, the All-Star 2000 model, the silhouette of which was taken from the original shoes. Over a million pairs of this model were sold in no time.
2002 - Over 750 million pairs of Chuck Taylor All Stars have been sold in 144 countries to date 2002 - Converse signs NBA players: Rodney Rogers - 1999-2000 Substitute of the Year (NBA's Sixth Man award), Ron Mercer - 1997-1998 NBA All Star Rookie Team member Andre Miller - who became one of the NBA's youngest assist leaders
2003 - The company revives the Converse Re-Issue™ series, a collection of 20th century professional sportswear featuring new colors and new materials
2004 - Converse revives the concept of The First School game - the essence of which is a bright fast team game. Signing contracts with 5 young NBA stars most relevant to this concept: Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Kirk Hinrich, Mike Sweetney, and Jameer Nelson.

Through the innovation, development and promotion of basketball, tennis, football, and baseball, Converse has forever connected itself to the heritage and soul of American sports. Its rich history includes shoes that revolutionized basketball, witnessed the birth of rock and roll and would later become world famous - Chuck Taylor, All Star, Sports Performance, Sports Lifestyle and Sports Classics are the backbone of America's sports heritage. sports performance. The spirit of Converse is the spirit of basketball. A wealth of experience in the production of sports shoes for basketball, which spans the history of the development of this sport to the present, that is the basis for the Converse basketball shoe collection. The collection features some of the most popular and iconic basketball shoes of all time in the game, as well as a new generation of athletic shoes, but what has remained the same throughout Converse's history is that every model since the first Converse All Star has been worldwide. which premiered in 1917, is original and unique.

If you are a resident of a metropolis, prefer comfortable street casual always and everywhere, like jogging in the morning or just “in the know” - then we don’t need to say that converse sneakers are a cult thing. Converse is a shoe with a history of more than 100 years, a brand that has defined its sports direction, collaborating with top NBA players and receiving century-old support from the world's main basketball association.

In 1908, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company began its history, led by Macus Mills Converse. Hence the name of the brand, and it is correct to say converse, with an emphasis on the first syllable. The shoe company developed quite successfully, constantly replenishing its range. But I didn’t start to specialize in sports shoes right away. Only in 1917, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company released a special model for basketball players - the Converse All Star.

NBA star Chuck Taylor was the first to appreciate the novelty and became a fan of comfortable shoes with top quality rubber soles. So in 1918, Chuck Taylor became, as they say now, the official face of the brand and led the advertising campaign for sports shoes. Later, the Converse All Star line of sneakers becomes the signature model of Chuck Taylor. Now we don’t remember how he threw balls into the basket and how many matches he won, but his name is immortalized on Converse sneakers.

Initially, sneakers were made only from high-strength canvas with a dense rubber sole. The creators have always paid close attention to the quality of materials. Today, in the manufacture of sneakers, both genuine leather and canvas, which in its texture resembles soft suede, and nubuck are used. So, modern men's converses are represented by different modifications:

  • Chuck Taylor All Star- a classic silhouette, both high and low, realized using different materials - of course, first of all, it is a classic canvas, but models made of high-quality leather and canvas are also popular. Models are also grouped according to color schemes - they can be either plain or with imitation of rain splashes, sun-bleached skin, as well as the brightest colors, up to neon.
    Chuck Taylor All Star models have many podcasts, for example:
    • CTAS Iridescent Rubber
    • CTAS Highline Shroud
    • CTAS Highline
    • CTAS Crochet
    • Chuck Taylor All Star II Neon
    • CTAS Sunset Wash

    Every year, new modifications of the brand's favorite line - Chuck Taylor All Star (CTAS) - are released, all of them are distinguished by their unique concept or their release is timed to coincide with any sporting event.

  • Converse x Sex Pistols- punk rock motifs inspired a new design - the sneakers show pictures of albums, graphics, inscriptions.
  • Converse x John Varvatos- industrial style, embodied in classic low and high models with unchanging quality.
  • Converse Jack Purcell Signature- all models of the line are made of nubuck in restrained natural colors.
  • Converse Cons One Star Pro- another tribute from the manufacturer to the street subculture - an ideal model for skateboarders.

Admittedly, in the 1950s, Converse was the number 1 shoe in the basketball world, not only in the US, but was a recognized brand around the world. Rebels, hippies and young people adored converse and wore them “both to the feast and to the world”, but in Russia they knew absolutely nothing about the brand all this time.

In 2003, Nike bought the company, breathes new life into the iconic brand and, having invested heavily in marketing and production optimization, brings sneakers back to the global market. This time everything turned out well, and the sneakers reached Russia.

The rather high price of original shoes contributes to an increase in the share of counterfeit goods on store shelves. So how to distinguish original men's converse and not fall for the beautiful pictures posted on the pages of online stores?


  • The first thing you should pay attention to is the price! As a rule, the price is the main criterion for quality and a guarantee that you are paying for real basketball league sneakers. Even taking into account sales and maximum discounts, you will not be able to buy sneakers cheaper than 3,000 rubles for the simplest converse modification. Without discounts, prices for sneakers start at 4,700 rubles - this is the recommended price from the manufacturer - everything that is cheaper is definitely a fake. But even for this price, you can lie on non-original products, so we do not lose our vigilance and look further.
  • We look at the rubber sole - the original has a thick, high-quality, pure white color, without traces of glue. The red stripe is bright.
  • Weigh shoes - yes, yes! Due to the fact that the strength of the sole of the original converse is achieved by repeatedly layering the rubber layer, and the weight of real sneakers will differ significantly from a fake. So, one size 38 sneaker should weigh 360-370 grams. Anything lighter is fake.
  • Look at the insole and lining. The original lining behind the heel is made of thick cardboard that can keep its shape even after repeated use. The insole and lining on the cardboard should be yellow, the Converse lettering on the insole should be dark blue. For fakes, the insole is usually white, the color of the logo may vary.
  • Pay attention to the laces. The original shoes come already laced. The original converses are equipped with thin weave laces - they are more wear-resistant and durable.
  • We check the strength of the rubber toe. In the original, it is always dense, made of thick rubber, with a clear streamlined shape. The fake offers a soft, shapeless toe that crumples easily when pressed.

No matter how much you want to save money, but buying a fake will make you regret such savings much sooner than you might think. The counterfeit manufacturer does not care about the durability of the shoes. So don’t be surprised if after a month white sneakers get yellow spots that cannot be removed, and the sole starts to stick out.

Are there official converse stores in Russia?

If it is not possible to visit the official store, the official online store of the Converse brand is at your service.

Attention.It is also worth knowing that the company has banned the use of the Converse brand name in site names, so if you decide to make a purchase on a site that appears in the name of the brand name and everything seems official, you should know that this is a hoax, you will buy there 100% fake.


What is there to discuss - converse is a legend and largely due to the fact that this is one of the favorite brands of cinema. Cinema has made a huge contribution to the spread of conversions around the world. The list of films where the main characters, bad guys and good cops, wear trendy sneakers is truly impressive. The first significant appearance of converse on the screen can be considered the film "Rocky" - and this is already 1976! Since then, Hollywood has been using branded shoes in filming often and with pleasure - Sin City, Back to the Future, I, Robot, Grease, Harry Potter, M.D. House and even our Cop with Rublyovka. Notice that all the heroes in converse are tough guys, athletes and lucky ones. Such love of directors, of course, contributes to the promotion of the brand to the masses. Well, we are just happy. Moreover, the quality of the brand is not a shame - Converse has been proving for over 100 years that it is not ready to lose ground in the sports shoe market.

History of Converse

The American brand Converse is a legend of sports shoes that everyone knows. The company appeared more than 100 years ago, during which time it managed to release several immortal hits, become part of the Nike corporation, leave basketball and return to it again. The Snicker Encyclopedia of the STREET BEAT chain of stores tells how the galoshes factory became one of the key manufacturers of sports shoes.

Chuck Taylor

The Converse Rubber Shoe Company was founded in 1908 by Marcus Mills Converse in Malden, Massachusetts. Initially, the factory produced galoshes and winter shoes with thick rubber soles. But two years later, the company completely went into the production of casual shoes, and then began to create the first sneakers.


Marcus Mills Converse

Founder of Converse



It took Converse only 10 incomplete years to present the world with the main hit and the most popular model in the history of sports shoes - in 1917, the debut release of Converse Non-Skids sneakers took place, which would later be renamed the All Star known to us.

By that time, shoes for football and tennis were already being produced under the Converse brand, and the new model was designed for basketball, which was gaining popularity.


Converse Non-Skids, 1917

Converse positioned the Non-Skids as a revolutionary sports product. The model had a unique design at that time. It provided good support and was equipped with a durable rubber outsole that grips the floor well. At that time, sports shoes were in demand exclusively among athletes, so sales left much to be desired. Around the same time period, Columbus High School basketball team quarterback Charles Taylor began wearing Non-Skids. Converse sneakers have become the athlete's favorite gaming shoes and an integral part of his image. If there was an alternative sneaker model on the market at that moment, the story could have turned out in a completely different way.


Taylor was an ambitious and enterprising person, he sincerely loved Converse shoes and already in 1921 he went to the company's office in Chicago in search of work. Taylor was hired. Thus, in the world of sports shoes, perhaps the first ever ambassador appears. At the same time, Taylor is acting as a sales representative for Converse. The company's newcomer immediately made several important changes to the design of the model. This is how the protective patch in the ankle area with the “All Star” print appeared, the design of the model becomes more ergonomic and the sneakers acquire the colors that are still produced - white and black.


Chuck Taylor - the first ever ambassador


Driving a Volkswagen Beetle, Taylor traveled all over America with Converse sneakers. He knew absolutely all the "necessary" people in the world of basketball. Coaches and even owners of professional teams consulted with this man, he was respected and loved by everyone involved in American basketball in the first half of the 20th century. To commemorate the greatest man in the history of the brand, Converse changed the name of the Non-Skids sneakers to Chuck Taylor All Star, under which the model is still produced today.

Wilt Chamberlain and Jack Purcell

During the Second World War, Converse switched to the production of rubberized military footwear, outerwear and protective suits. There was simply no other way out. But along with the end of the war, Converse again launches the production of sports shoes, including All Star sneakers. By the early 1950s, Converse sneakers were becoming popular with young people and sneakers were starting to hit the streets. You could say it was the dawn of sneaker culture as we know it today. During the 1950s, the Converse All Star became the official shoe of the American Basketball League and the standard for high school and college wear. After another 10 years, the company controls 80% of the US sports shoe market, Converse begins to expand its structure and opens new factories.

In 1962, two important events in the history of Converse take place. The brand releases the low-top All Star for the first time, and Philadelphia Warriors basketball player Wilt Chamberlain sets the NBA single-game scoring record with 100 points. The athlete wore Converse sneakers on his feet, and the record remains unbroken to this day.


In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain in Converse sets a record by scoring 100 points in a match, which remains unbroken to this day.

For any American boy, Converse sneakers were the “shoes of heroes”, popularity and sales were constantly growing. The next stage of development was the emergence of new All Star colors, and in 1966 the company introduced the model in seven colors, which, according to the designers' idea, were to be combined with the shades of equipment of key NBA teams. In 1969, Chuck Taylor was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.


In 1972, Converse buys athletic shoe manufacturer PF Flyers and, as a result, acquires the rights to the company's key product, Jack Purcell sneakers. These sneakers have been produced since 1935, but at first they came out under the brand name B.F. Goodrich Company. The silhouette was born during the brand's collaboration with professional badminton player Jack Purcell.


Jack Purcell

Professional badminton player


The model was intended for playing on the court, and its main distinguishing feature was the sole covering the toe with a contrasting insert in the shape of a smile. As a professional athlete, Purcell was convinced that such a solution would protect the toes, and the unusual detail would become a symbol of the model. Purcell was right and the silhouette really came to success. Still - they were worn by James Dean himself, the famous American actor and legend of his generation. Later, it is the world-famous stars that will make Converse shoes known to the whole world.


From pop culture to bankruptcy

In the 70s, other, younger brands entered the basketball shoe market. Basketball shoes start coming out at adidas and then Nike. Despite this, Converse's position is as strong as ever. In 1974, the company introduced the low-top One Star basketball shoes, and two years later, the All Star Professional Basketball Shoe, which we know today as Pro Leather, appeared. Michael Jordan himself wore Converse Pro Leather sneakers during college, and Julius Irving led his team to the NBA Finals. Subsequently, this silhouette will become a street style classic, skaters will ride in them, they will be chosen for collaborations. And yet, innovative technologies from new sports manufacturers are gradually replacing Converse from basketball. By the end of the 80s, sneakers had become a rarity on the court, but are increasingly appearing on the streets.


Converse was worn by rockers and punks, skaters and just dudes. Nobody cares about the basketball past, people begin to see in shoes not only functionality, but also an opportunity for self-expression. The image of sneakers as shoes for free youth was influenced by such stars as The Ramones and Kurt Cobain, David Bowie and Metallica. Even the heroes of Hollywood cinema appeared in sneakers. This image turned out to be so strong that it continues to live today, only now it is supported by all kinds of collaborations.

Until other sporting goods manufacturers got into the lifestyle market, Converse was doing amazingly well. By the 80th anniversary of the Converse All Star sneakers, the company has sold 600 million pairs. For you to understand, this is when every tenth person on Earth has at least one pair of Converse sneakers in their wardrobe. Despite this, in the 90s, sneakers give way to more modern sneaker models in everyday wardrobes. They are still worn by representatives of various subcultures, but sales are falling from year to year. The management turned out to be unprepared for the constant changes in the market and the new rules of the game, which were dictated by the growing strength of competitors. In 2001, the company announced the beginning of bankruptcy proceedings.

Under the wing of the goddess of victory

In the struggle for the market of casual sports shoes in 2003, the American sports giant Nike buys all the structures of the Converse company. This deal becomes one of the greatest in the industry and an important milestone in the development of Nike.


With the Converse trademark, Nike gains the rights to manufacture and market all of Converse's hits, including the iconic All Star. At the same time, the era of collaborations begins and Converse sneakers are the best suited for joint projects. Under the leadership of Nike, Converse begins to produce collections with high fashion houses and musicians, street brands and artists. Sneakers are finally leaving the sport and acquiring the status of classics of everyday style.

Legends such as Comme des Garçons and Maison Martin Margiela, Missoni and Off-White have worked on limited-edition Converse sneakers. Special editions of All Star sneakers were inspired by The Simpsons and Mickey Mouse. Iron Maiden, AC / DC and Gorillaz also released unique Converses. Collaborations tend to use the classic All Star model, but sometimes designers make changes to other silhouettes, such as One Star in the case of the GOLF le FLEUR* brand or ERX-260 in a joint project with Just Don.

In 2011, Nike merged the structures of Converse, Nike and Jordan Brand into a single company, and already in 2015, it began to introduce its own sports technologies into Converse products. This is how the Converse All Star II sneakers with the signature Lunarlon sole are born, which embody a modern classic. The sneakers that Rocky Balboa wore on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art are no longer seen as athletic shoes. Now it is entirely a lifestyle product.


In 2019, the Converse logo appeared on the NBA floor for the first time in seven years. To get back on the court, the company introduced the modern All Star Pro BB basketball shoes, which are played by forward Kelly Aubrey. From this moment on, a new chapter in the history of Converse opens, in which there is again a place for sports. Using the best of Jordan and Nike, the company plans to create a wide range of basketball shoes and breathe new life into Converse's sports heritage.


Converse All Star Pro BB, 2019


The older the company is, the more interesting it is to compare its current activities with the past. The history of the Converse brand, the legendary manufacturer of sneakers, begins in 1908 with the manufacture of rubber galoshes. The 47-year-old Marcus Mills Converse, then at the helm, went into serial production two years later, but sports shoes did not appear in the assortment until 1915, and the legendary Converse All Star until 1917.

Converse All Star

It's no coincidence that basketball player Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor is named after so many Converse silhouettes. Even the circumstances under which he was involved reflect the spirit and entrepreneurial spirit of the brand - when Chuck went into the store to complain about the chafing design, the problem was quickly fixed, and he himself was appointed as an official representative of Converse. Holding this position from 1921 until almost his death in 1969, Chuck Taylor made an incomparable contribution to the spread of the Converse All Star sneaker. At the same time, while promoting basketball, Chuck traveled all over America, for which he received the nickname "basketball ambassador." Another ambassador was professional badminton player Jack Purcell, who designed a lightweight model for Converse with a smile logo on the toe. Later, it was this feature that helped these sneakers become one of the most famous in the world.

Ability to adapt

In the upcoming World War II, Converse, like many others, was engaged in the execution of military orders. Putting aside All Stars for a while, the brand developed the A-6 Flying Shoes for pilots, the convenience of which the employees did not forget after the war - Converse further strengthened their reputation, presenting a true American brand. Peacetime contributed to more vivid images, so Converse, which had previously produced only black shoes, listened to the wishes and significantly expanded their range. In addition, since the 50s, the result of efforts made even before the war is shown - Chuck Taylor All Star takes first place on the podium of basketball shoes.

Success in everyday life did not pass by - James Dean, a Hollywood star, appeared on the cover of one of the magazines in jeans and white Converse, influencing the fashion of several generations at once. First of all, children and teenagers became fans of Converse sneakers - they were attracted by the free style of rebels and rock and roll. The '76 redesign, which added a bright star to the side of the All Star silhouette, became an instant timeless classic, while Pro Leather models in leather pushed the boundaries of choice.

Image change

Growing competition was on the heels - Converse responded with new technologies that provide less stress on the foot, stability and cushioning. Especially useful was an innovation called REACT®, which noticeably smooths out the impact of high-jump athletes. But this was not enough. Having changed several owners from 1995 to 2003, the company was in the safe hands of Nike. With a new strategy in place, Converse no longer sought to take over the entire market, concentrating on heritage and refining the silhouettes. Converse sneakers have slowly faded away from basketball - the last NBA player to wear them was in 2012 - but the popularity of the All Star is steadily growing in everyday life. More recently, celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Kristen Stewart, Rihanna and many others have chosen them on the red carpet.

Updated Chuck Taylor All Star

At the same time, Converse is not giving up on sports - a team of skateboarders created in 2009 is gaining momentum, and the brand itself is developing models specifically for skaters. The experience of Nike helps here, sharing the latest developments with a subsidiary. This is true of iconic silhouettes as well – the Chuck Taylor All Star received a second version in 2015 with a new outsole, better stitching and thoughtful construction. Despite the changes, Chuck Taylor II retained its distinctive look, carrying a rich history of true American sneakers.