Converse
Converse was founded by Massachusetts businessman Marquis Mills Converse. He created the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in February 1908, and on April 30, 1909, debuted the company’s first pair of rubber galoshes. It wasn’t until the mid-1910s that Converse entered the athletic market. To cater to the new but growing sport of basketball, it created the Non-Skid shoe, which in 1919 would be renamed the All-Star and eventually evolve into the Chuck Taylor All-Star (named after one of its most devoted salesmen and ambassadors).
The history of Converse is deeply intertwined with the sport of basketball. By 1955, Chucks were the No. 1 basketball shoe in America and the brand owned 80 percent of the entire sneaker industry. Throughout the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, its sneakers were worn by the majority of pro and college teams, including legendary players like Dr. J, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan (before signing his deal with Nike). Speaking of the Swoosh, Converse was acquired by Nike on Sept. 4, 2003, for $305 million. Though Converse shoes are no longer a staple of basketball courts, they’ve become synonymous with youth culture — and counterculture — worn by artists and musicians across the globe.
Converse
Converse Debuts New Easter <em>Egg</em> and <em>Basket</em> Collections
Converse is bringing out some playful new variations on its famous Chuck Taylor’s and Chuck II’s just in time…
Monkey Business: 3 Sneaker Collections for Chinese New Year
To ring in the Chinese New Year on Feb. 6, sneaker heavyweights Jordan, Adidas and Converse have unveiled…
Converse Starts the Year With 3 New Collections
Converse got a jump start on Spring ’16 by rolling out three new product lines at the start of the…
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Converse is taking a unique stab at ’70s-inspired fashion. The brand unveiled limited edition Converse First…
Converse Debuts Seasonal Colors for Chuck Taylor All Star II
Converse unveiled its first seasonal collection for the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II since its debut in…
Nike Slam-Dunks Q1 Earnings Estimates
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Converse Debuts CONS CTS Fragment Design Collaboration
Converse announced a collaboration with the “Godfather of Harajuki” Hiroshi Fujiwara. The Converse CONS CTS…
Converse Celebrates the Next Generation of Chuck Taylor All Stars in Boston
Nike-owned Converse marked the debut of its Converse Chuck Taylor All Star II with a global launch in its…
Converse Jack Purcell and Hancock Vulcanized Articles Bow New Rally Silhouette
The latest limited-edition styles by Converse mixes old with new. Converse and Hancock Vulcanized Articles…
Sneakers Top Teen Girls’ Shopping Lists at Lester’s
New York-based Lester’s has dressed babies, kids, tweens and teens for their first day of school to their…
“Sneakerheadz” Director David Friendly on Sneaker Culture
A true sneakerhead is more than your average guy waiting for the new Nike to drop; a true sneakerhead has the…
Let ‘Em Play: Converse Sets Converse Rubber Tracks Into Motion
Converse announced the launch of Converse Rubber Tracks program, a two-week event during which the sneaker…
Converse Opens Boston HQ Campus and Flagship Store
Converse celebrated the grand opening of its new Boston digs on Wednesday. Located on Boston’s Lovejoy Wharf…
Converse and Comme des Garcons Unveil Premium Collection
Wear your heart on your, err, sneakers. Converse has partnered with Comme des Garcons Play for the fourth…