Converse Kicks With Heart
Using a ’50s-era Chuck Taylor silhouette originally designed for the U.S. military, the Comme des Garcons Play for Converse collection puts a modern twist on these vintage kicks.
Using a ’50s-era Chuck Taylor silhouette originally designed for the U.S. military, the Comme des Garcons Play for Converse collection puts a modern twist on these vintage kicks.
In case you missed the ads or didn’t get the chance to swing by its historic St. James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin this year, Guinness celebrated its 250th anniversary in 2009. While such an incredible milestone is most worthy of celebration (250 years!), what is particularly remarkable from a branding perspective is that its stewards have remained steadfast to the storied stout’s ingredients, kept its brand image equally pure and never turned their back on its rich Irish heritage. To put it bluntly, Guinness has never “put a lime” in its beer.
The World Basketball Festival wasn’t the only party going down in Washington, DC, last weekend: Converse left its mark on our nation’s capital with a (completely free) one-day block party that celebrated basketball, music and culture, and kicked off the launch of its limited edition Pro Leather WBF footwear collection.
Let’s face it: More often than not, free outdoor events are a washout. (And I’m not talking about the weather.) That wasn’t the case last weekend when Converse brought City Carnage to New York City, a free two-day event celebrating music and skateboarding at Hudson River Park.
On Monday classic kicks brand Converse presented its Fall ’13 collections at the Gallery at the Dream Downtown.
French fashion house Maison Martin Margiela gives all-American Converse kicks an avant-garde makeover for fall. The first-time collaboration features Chuck Taylor All Stars and Jack Purcell sneakers, each completely hand-painted in Margiela’s iconic white paint. Covering all canvas, eyelets, laces and soles, they naturally crack and shed their outer coat of paint to reveal the original colors beneath.
Converse is no stranger to musician collaborations, having joined forces with everyone from Nirvana to ACDC to Metallica over the years. Now the iconic brand has teamed up with Black Sabbath to bow a collection of five designs based on its classic Chuck Taylor All-Stars.
Converse presents a melange of takes on its tried-and-true Jack Purcell sneakers for the Fall ’14 season. The all-new Cross Stitch is a fresh twist on the classic kick, re-imagined in tumbled leather with blue stitching on the tongue, a gum Jack Purcell “smile,” square waxed cotton laces and accent brass eyelets.
We’ve all been there. You’re out for a stroll in your Chucks when all of a sudden the heavens open with a downpour and your once-fresh kicks (not to mention your feet) are now sopping wet. Well, no more, says Converse. The Massachusetts-based brand has just released the Converse All Star Chuck ’70 Polartec, a weather resistant sneaker that integrates Polartec weatherization technology.
Converse’s iconic Chuck Taylor sneakers have been a wardrobe staple for generations of Americans. (Our Senior Editor alone owns more than five pairs, and our Creative Director wears them everyday.) Now the century-old shoemaker is suing 31 companies of trademark infringement in 22 separate lawsuits filed Tuesday in the United States District Court in Brooklyn, NY.
Sign up to receive the digital edition of Footwear Plus, fashion news, and more.