Converse (brand)

[6] When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing rubberized footwear, outerwear, and protective suits for the military.

After the war's end, the company resumed production of athletic footwear and chiefly made a high top shoe, in either black or white.

Artist Charles Kerins created cover art that celebrated Converse's role in the lives of high school and college athletes.

[11] In 1962, center Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points in a National Basketball Association (NBA) game while wearing a pair of All-Stars, taking a 169–147 victory over the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on March 2.

Converse was acquired by the Eltra Corporation in 1972, and bought out one of its biggest competitors at the time, PF Flyers, from B.F. Goodrich.

[14] Converse lost its athletic shoe monopoly from the 1970s onward, as new competitors, including Puma, Adidas, and Nike, grew in popularity.

A decade later, as Reebok introduced new designs and technology to the sports market, Converse was no longer the official shoe of the NBA.

[17] Although canvas-rubber shoes regained popularity in the 1980s as casual footwear, Converse eventually became too dependent on the "All Stars" basketball brand, whose market collapsed by 1989–1990.

[19] In April 2001, Footwear Acquisitions, led by Marsden Cason and Bill Simon, purchased the brand from bankruptcy and added industry partners Jack Boys, Jim Stroesser, Lisa Kempa, and David Maddocks to lead the turnaround.

It was constructed near North Station in downtown Boston, on the Lovejoy Wharf, as part of a site overhaul and restoration of public waterfront access.

[26] Starting in July 2008, Converse sent around 180 cease-and-desist letters to over 30 companies that they claimed were violating the Chuck Taylor All-Stars trademark and selling so-called look-alike sneakers.

[29] Judge Bullock also ruled that most of the shoes sold by Highline United under the Ash brand did not infringe and that Converse did not have a valid common law mark for its midsole.

On June 23, 2016, the anniversary of the death of Chuck Taylor, the International Trade Commission ruled that Converse's alleged trade dress for the midsole design of a combined toe cap, toe bumper, and stripe was not entitled to trademark protection under the common law and found invalid Converse's federal trademark registration.

Kelly Oubre Jr. was the first player to try out the new product,[37] which combined the traditional Converse silhouette with the contemporary Nike technology.

Thereafter Converse signed Draymond Green in March 2020,[38] Natasha Cloud (the first WNBA player) in June,[39] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in July,[40] and, thereafter, Rudy Gay, P. J. Tucker, DeAndre' Bembry, De'Anthony Melton, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Immanuel Quickley, Deividas Sirvydis, Jordan Clarkson, Josh Richardson, David Duke Jr., Brandon Williams.

[42] In the 1980s, Converse sponsored several influential skaters including Jason Jessee, Rodney Mullen, and Mark Rogowski.

[44] Under the "Cons" name, Converse launched its skateboarding program in 2009 with a team of "ambassadors": Kenny Anderson, Anthony Pappalardo, Nick Trapasso, Sammy Baca, Ethan Fowler, Raymond Molinar, and Rune Glifberg.

[48] As of July 2014, the Cons skateboard team consisted of original members Anderson, Trapasso, Baca, and Glifberg, while Jessee, Anderson, Julian Davidson, Remillard, Zered Basset, Ben Raemers, Jake Johnson, Eli Reed, Louie Lopez, Sage Elsesser, and Sean Pablo were subsequently added.

[46] Bassett filmed a new advertisement that was broadcast online in July 2014, in which he skateboarded through New York City in a newly launched skate shoe version of the Converse Weapon model.

Professional skateboarder Anthony Pappalardo released a (RED) edition of his high-selling signature skate shoe model in February 2010.

[55] In the winter of 2018, Converse teamed up with several influential figures in the Los Angeles area to create a collection paying to those who help move the culture forward in the city.

Joshua Mueller, Guinness Book of World Records holder for a most significant collection of "Chucks", photographed in 2006
The Weapon, manufactured in many different color schemes
Converse fashion in Paris