Converse-ing it Up
Converse is an American shoe company that is known for producing basketball shoes and lifestyle brand footwear and apparel. Founded in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts, Converse is a brand that is continually growing in popularity with men, women and children. It wasn’t until 2003 that Converse became a subsidiary of Nike, Inc.
History
At the age of 47, Marquis Mills Converse, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Maldon, Massachusettes, in February of 1908. Previously a manager at a footwear manufacturing firm, Marquis Converse was always passionate about footwear and wanted to eventually design his own line of footwear. The company, Converse, was a rubber shoe manufacturer whom provided winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women and, children. By 1910, Converse was producing shoes daily, but in fact it wasn’t until 1915 that the company began manufacturing athletic shoes.
Converse White CT All Star Ox Leather Trainers
It was in 1917 when the Converse All-Star basketball shoe was introduced, launching Converse into the new market of basketball shoes. Then in 1923, a basketball player named Charles H. “Chuck” Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet. He was immediately hired by Converse where he worked as a salesman and ambassador for the brand, he travelled around the U.S. promoting the shoes and eventually in 1932 Taylor’s signature was added to the All-Star patch on the classic, high-topped trainers.
Converse Dark Obsidian Heather Longsleeved Badge T-Shirt
When, in 1941, the U.S. entered World War II, Converse shifted its manufacturing from the public and began to manufacture rubberized footwear, outerwear, and protective suits for the military. They were one of the few producers of athletic shoes and for over half a century the company dominated the American court shoe market. This, however, changed during the 1970s as new competitors such as Adidas, Nike and Puma introduced new designs to the sports market. It was from then on, that Converse lost their monopoly on the sports market. Converse soon found themselves no longer the official shoe of the National Basketball Association, a title they had proudly held for so many years.
Converse Black Core Chest Logo Zip Hoodie
In 2001, Converse filed for bankruptcy. They had become overly dependent on their “All-Stars” brand, whose market had collapsed by the end of 1990s, and had increasing amounts of debt. Then, in July 2003, Nike acquired Converse and was set to relaunch the footwear along with expanded lines of apparel. Over the years Converse have had many special-edition style Converse including DC Comics, Jimi Hendrix and Miley Cyrus.
You can check out our Converse range here. #standout
