Do you know what the oldest and most popular sneaks are...? The CONVERSE.
The converse was first brought to life by Marquis Mills Converse in Malden in 1908.
1941–present: War, bankruptcy, and new management
When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing rubberized footwear, outerwear, and protective suits for the military. Widely popular during the 1950s and 1960s, Converse promoted a distinctly American image with its Converse Yearbook. Artist Charles Kerins created cover art that celebrated Converse's role in the lives of high school and college athletes.
Through its shoes, Converse developed into an iconic brand, and came to be seen as the essential sports shoe. In the 1970s, Converse purchased the trademark rightsto Jack Purcell sneakers from B.F. Goodrich.[2]
Converse lost much of its apparent near-monopoly from the 1970s onward, with the surge of new competitors, including Pumaand Adidas, then Nike, then a decade laterReebok, 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 relished for many years. While being employed at Converse, one of its employees, Jim Labadini (1968-78), created the chevron and star insignia / logo that still remains on most Converse footwear items that are not classic Chuck Taylors.
The loss of market share, combined with poor business decisions, forced Converse to file for bankruptcy on January 22, 2001. In April 2001, Footwear Acquisitions, led by Mardsen 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 of America's Original Sports Company.
The new team drove Converse from the 16th largest footwear company to number 7 in less than 2 1/2 years, leading to a buyout by rival Nike on July 9, 2003 for $305 million, qualifying as the merger and acquisition of the year in 2003.
Converse has become a fashionable shoe of choice for many celebrities includingWillow Smith, Drew Barrymore, Demi Lovato, and Kristen Stewart, who wore them on the red carpet.
By November 2012 Converse had quickly disappeared completely from the NBA, facilitated by the last dozen players wearing the brand exiting it and/or the NBA over a period of less than a year and a half. Carlos Arroyo and Acie Law went overseas (and Law switched to Nike) in late 2011. JJ Barea and Kirk Hinrich were former long-time endorsers who switched to Nike during the course of the 2011-2012 season. Maurice Evans last played for theWashington Wizards in April 2012. Luke Harangody (waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on 29 November 2012) and Larry Sanders switched to Nike after the 2011-2012 season. Chris Andersen was waived by the Denver Nuggets on 17 July 2012. Long-time endorsers Elton Brand, Louis Williams, and Kyle Korver switched to Nike for the 2012-2013 season. Udonis Haslem, the last NBA player wearing Converse on the court, followed Dwyane Wade to switch to Li-Ning in late November 2012.
