Converse
Converse is an American shoe brand that has existed since 1908 and is best known for one shoe: the Chuck Taylor All Star. That canvas sneaker with a rubber toe started out as a basketball shoe and became a staple for musicians, skaters and students. Today you can wear Converse sneakers with almost anything, from jeans to a summer dress.
The history of Converse
Marquis Mills Converse founded the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in 1908 in Malden, in the US state of Massachusetts. The company first made rubber shoes for winter. In 1917 the All Star came onto the market, a high-top basketball shoe in canvas with a rubber sole.
In the early 1920s basketball player Chuck Taylor started working for Converse as a salesman. He travelled across the United States, ran basketball clinics and suggested improvements to the shoe. In 1932 his name was added to the ankle patch, and the shoe has been called the Chuck Taylor All Star ever since. In 2003 Converse was acquired by Nike, which continues to run it as a separate label.
What is Converse known for?
The hallmark of Converse is simplicity: a canvas upper, a white rubber sidewall, a toe cap and the round patch with the star. Precisely because the design is so bare, the Chuck became a kind of blank canvas. Punk bands, grunge musicians and skaters wore it until it fell apart, and designers still use it as the base for a version of their own.
Converse collaborates a lot with labels and designers. Well-known examples are Comme des Garçons PLAY with the heart with eyes, Off-White, Fear of God, JW Anderson and Patta. The brand also has the One Star, with a large star on the side, and the Run Star Hike with a thick, lugged sole.
Popular Converse models
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star: the classic in high and low, in canvas or leather. The Chuck 70 is a premium version modelled on the 1970s edition, with thicker canvas, more cushioning, a taller rubber sidewall and a glossy sole. On WOOVIN the Chuck 70 collaborations and the Throwback Low ‘Archive Leaf Camo’ are especially popular.
- Converse One Star: a low-top sneaker from 1974, with the star as a large logo on the side. On WOOVIN you will find, among others, the One Star Court Classic made with Patta.
- Converse SHAI 001: the signature shoe of NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, which brings Converse back to the basketball court. On WOOVIN the ‘Masi Blue’ and ‘Hail Clay’ colorways top the list.
Torn between Converse and Vans? Both brands make simple canvas sneakers with a flat sole. The Chuck has a rubber toe and a narrower shape, while the Vans Old Skool has a padded collar and the familiar side stripe. You will find more models in that style at Vans.
How do Converse sneakers fit?
The Chuck Taylor All Star and the Chuck 70 run large. Converse itself advises choosing half a size smaller than your usual sneaker size. The shoe is also fairly narrow; if you have wide feet, stick with your normal size. For other models, such as the SHAI 001, this advice does not automatically apply, so compare the size chart of the product there.
Buy Converse at WOOVIN
On WOOVIN you will find Converse for women and men, with a focus on the Chuck 70 and collaborations with labels such as Comme des Garçons PLAY and Fear of God. If you want an everyday classic, choose a Chuck 70 in black or natural; if you are after something eye-catching, look at the collabs or the SHAI 001. When ordering a Chuck, pay attention to the size, as you usually go half a size down.
