Evolution of a trend...

Converse was established in 1908, in Massachusetts, by Marquis M. Converse. Converse started as a Rubber Shoe Company that offered winterized rubber soled footwear. Until 1912 it started producing athletic shoes for tennis. In 1917, Converse introduced the world's first performance basketball shoes, the “Converse All Star” and with them the basketball was revolutionized. A year later, when the basketball player Charles H. Taylor acquired his first pair of Converse All Star and started using them, he spread the basketball as a sport to all the Americans across the country. Another important person from Converse is Charles Chuck Taylor, who officially joined Converse as America’s first player endorser and because of that Charles’ signature was added in the All Star patch. Converse kept growing as the interest of basketball. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star became the basketball shoes used for professionals and high school teams across the country, that’s why Converse became a synonym for basketball. Chuck not only transformed basketball by introducing the new basketball shoes, also he transformed it when he invented the modern basket ball, a stitch less leather ball.

  

Converse had been in very important historical events like in 1936, basketball Olympic debut, the U.S basketball team defeated Canada wearing Converse All Star shoes. Also when America entered the World Wide II Converse started to manufacture boots, rubber protective suits for pilots and troops. During the war all soldiers worn Chuck Taylor All Star shoes, and also after it, because nowadays these shoes are usual the athletic shoes for military training. Converse was also present in Hollywood due to all the celebrities that were photographed wearing them, was present among the teenagers that used them as a symbol of youth rebellion, Converse became an American icon in the 50’s and until the 80’s, that’s when Converse popularity started to fall. The new period of the footwear industry involved technology and improvement, things that the new competitors of Converse had and Converse not. Converse tried to keep up with that technology but it couldn’t and because of that and a series of bad decisions Converse file in bankruptcy in 2001. It was until 2003 that Converse accepted Nike’s offer to buy the company for $305 million dollars, since then Converse is owned by Nike. No matter what the sales statistics indicated, or who owns the company, Converse shoes are and will still being a big and important part of the American history.