Converse (shoe company)
Converse is an American sporting goods supplier, was established in 1908 with headquarters in Massachusetts, which now belongs to the sporting goods manufacturer Nike.
History
Marquis M. Converse founded in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, which initially manufactured winter footwear. Later, shoes made of canvas were incorporated into the production line. In 1917, Converse brought the basketball shoe Converse All Star on the market. With this shoe, the typical squeaking came into the game.
In 1923, the sports shoe Converse All Star got on his rubber badge signed by Chuck Taylor, whereby the innovative spirit of the basketball legend Taylor should be honored. Therefore, this shoe model is in many places titled as "Chucks ". Also in 1923 designed Converse shoes for the basketball team New York Renaissance. Jack Purcell, a famous badminton star, designed in 1935 a new competition shoe for the badminton game.
In order to support the war effort, Converse developed in 1942 mainly the flying boots A6 Flying Boot. The Oxford, a lower version of the Converse All Star, was developed in 1966, and only eight years later, in 1974, the Converse One Star, a low competition basketball shoes came on the market.
At the 1984 Olympic Games, Converse were the official sponsors. Already since 1936, contributed the players in all Olympic basketball medal games Converse shoes. The Weapon came in 1986 on the market. With this new shoe and the campaign " Choose your Weapon" Converse is presented to the rivalry of the 1980s.
A descendant of the famous All Star, All Star 2000, the patch is made of leather, was brought by Converse in 1996 to market and immediately after the start of sales 1,000,000 copies. 2003 bought the sports brand Nike Converse on for around 305 million dollars.
From the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star, one of the most successful shoes this time, to date, over 600 million pairs have been sold.
Gallery
Converse Weapon - a popular basketball shoe of the 1980s
Old Converse logo
Old Converse logo
Cultural reception
In the series The A-Team Murdock also carries Converse all star shoes. The Ramones often wore Converse all-stars. Among the most famous " Chuck - makers " and Avril Lavigne, who owns more than 100 pairs of Converse All Stars belongs.
Nowadays, especially the All Stars from Converse are no longer supported for basketball, but as a fashionable cult shoe on the road. Although Converse has now been surpassed as a manufacturer of basketball shoes from companies like Nike, the company manufactures still basketball shoes and fashionable sportswear.
Converse is mentioned by name and figuratively in several films, for example in the well known movie I, Robot, starring Will Smith.
Working conditions in Indonesia
In July 2011, the media of ill-treatment of workers in Indonesia reported that manufactured Converse shoes. The predominantly female employees earned about € 0.36 per hour and said that complaints about the violent mistreatment led to the dismissal. Converse was acquired by the sporting goods company Nike, who saw himself exposed to similar allegations have often in the past.