converse¹

Converse
Type	Subsidiary of Nike
Founded	1917
Headquarters	North Andover, Massachusetts
Key people	Marquis M. Converse, Founder
Industry	sporting goods
Products	Athletic shoes, apparel
Website	www.converse.com

Converse, (pronounced IPA: /ˈkʌnvɚs/ (GA), /ˈkɔnvəːs/ (RP)), is an American shoe company which has been making shoes since the early 20th century. As of 2007, Converse also produces a wide range of occupational safety shoes that resemble their regular athletic shoes. Converse is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nike.

History

1908–1941: The Early Days and Chuck Taylor

In his late 30s, Marquis M. Converse, who was previously a respected manager at a footwear manufacturing firm, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company (also known as the Boston Rubber Shoe Company) in Malden, Massachusetts in 1908. The company was a rubber shoe manufacturer, providing winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By 1910, Converse was producing 4,000 shoes daily, but it wasn't until 1915 that the company began manufacturing athletic shoes for tennis. The company's main turning point came in 1917 when the Converse All-Star basketball shoe was introduced. This was a real innovation at the time, considering the sport was only 25 years old. Then in 1921, a basketball player named Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet. Converse gave him a job. He worked as a salesman and ambassador, promoting the shoes around the United States, and in 1923 after publishing a retrospective on the first 60 years of basketball and teaching his first basketball clinic at North Carolina State University, his signature was added to the All Star patch. He tirelessly continued this work until shortly before his death in 1969. Converse also customized shoes for the New York Renaissance (the "Rens"), basketball's first all African American pro basketball team. Converse are traditionally basketball shoes..

1941–Present: War, Bankruptcy, and New Management

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing footwear, apparel, boots, parkas, rubber protective suits, and ponchos for pilots and troops. Widely popular during the 1950s and 1960s, Converse lost much of its apparent near-monopoly from the 1970s onward, with the surge of new competitors, including Adidas, then Nike, then a decade later Reebok, who introduced radical new designs to the market. Converse found themselves no longer the official shoe of the National Basketball Association, a title they had enjoyed for many years. This loss of market share, combined with poor business decisions forced Converse to file for bankruptcy on January 22, 2001. When the company subsequently changed hands that year, the last factory in the United States was closed. Thereafter, manufacturing for the American market was no longer performed in the United States, but instead in a number of Asian countries, including China, Indonesia and Vietnam.

On July 9, 2003, the company accepted a $305 million purchase offer from rival Nike.

Current NBA Players wearing Converse include Dwyane Wade, Kirk Hinrich, Jameer Nelson, Andre Miller, Kyle Korver, Alando Tucker, Acie Law IV, Udonis Haslem, Jason Williams, Maurice Evans, Orien Greene, and Mike Sweetney.

Style

Converse fashion in Paris

Red and white Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe.

Joshua Mueller, Guinness Book of World Records holder for largest collection of "Chucks"

Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe

For more details on this topic, see Chuck Taylor All Star.

Also referred to as "Cons", "Connies", "Chuckers", "Chucks", "Converse", "Chuckies", "Chuckie T's", or "Chucker Boots" for the higher styles, for decades the Chuck Taylor All Star

Nirvana in 1989, seen wearing Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoes

basketball shoe only came in black, or in white starting in 1947. Under pressure from basketball teams it was decided in 1966 to manufacture other colors. Different materials began to appear also, starting in the 1970s, such as leather, suede and vinyl, and even hemp, rather than just canvas. Besides high-tops, low-cuts and later knee-high versions were produced. After Converse was bought by Nike and operations were moved from the United States to overseas, the design has had a few alterations. The fabric is no longer 2-ply cotton canvas but 1-ply "textile" and many wearers have noticed different patterns of wear.

The Weapon

The Weapon, manufactured in many different color schemes

In 1986, Converse released "The Weapon" basketball shoe. Also manufactured in many color schemes to match the team colors of basketball teams, it has been available in both high-top and low cut varieties. The unique aspect of this shoe is the leather construction throughout, including the inside heel which is also heavily padded for comfort. Converse re-released "The Weapon" in 2002 (Kobe Bryant wore a pair from the 4 August 2002 ceremony of the Teen Choice Awards, of which he was a winner, up through the 12 November 2002 Lakers vs. Hawks game) and "The Loaded Weapon" in 2003.

Corporate Responsibility and criticism

Converse is owned by Nike, a company that on multiple occasions has been criticized for its use of sweatshop labor. In response to that criticism, Nike has worked to lead the footwear and apparel industries in eliminating sweatshop labor. For example, in its 2004 Corporate Responsibility Report[1], Nike publicly released a list of the factories it contracts with. This move, a first in the apparel and footwear industries, allows 3rd party verification of factory conditions by trade unions and NGOs. Despite Nike’s efforts to curb its use of sweatshop labor, to this day Nike factories continue to fire workers that sometimes in violation of local law, and do not pay laborers a living wage. [2]

No Sweat Apparel, along with a number of other companies, currently makes Converse look alikes under fair labor conditions to offer an alternative.

See also

• Chuck Taylor All-Stars
• Chuck Taylor

External links

• Official web site
• Charlie's "CHUCK" Page
• Chucks Connection

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