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Converse. They are more than just shoes, nostalgia, or a fashion statement. The history of Converse shoes spans the history of 20th century America and the evolution of basketball. Converse shoes revolutionized the sport of basketball and witnessed the birth of rock and roll. Sixty percent of all American own or have owned at least one pair of Converse sneakers. In 1908, Marquis M. Converse, in his late 30's and previously a respected manager at a footwear manufacturing firm, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company for business in Malden, Massachusetts and begins providing winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By 1910 Converse Rubber Company was producing 4,000 pairs of shoes daily, but it wasn't until 1915 that the company began manufacturing athletic shoes for tennis. Basketball, less than 25 years old, was revolutionized in 1917 when Converse designed and produced the world's first performance basketball shoes, the Converse All Star.The Converse All Star was originally produced only in black, but after World War II, the company came under pressure from basketball teams to add additional colors. Converse yielded and a number of new colors were released in addition to the tradition black and white colorways. Hollywood gave Converse shoes a boost when actors and other celebrities wear them and help Converse All Star to transcend the world of athletic shoes to become an American cultural icon. Sneakers, especially Converse, became the preferred footwear of kids and teenagers and a symbol of youthful rebellion in the 1950's. These inexpensive shoes are work with jeans and a t-shirt by boys and skirts, sweaters, and ankle socks by girls. Film legend, James Dean officially sanctioned this fashion when he was photographed wearing jeans and white Converse sneakers. By 1955-56, Chucks are the #1 basketball shoe in America, and in 1957, seven year old Julius Erving, better known as "Dr. J," received his first pair of Chucks for $3.95 after pleading with his mother. This first pair of Chucks would launch the young Julius into a career and into basketball history when he creates a new above-the-rim style of play. Dr. J and his Converse shoes ushered in the game of basketball as we know it today.Converse remained wildly popular during the 70's and 80's as they continued to be a symbol of counter-culture. This tradition of rebellion started with greasers and the rebel without a cause. White t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and sneakers were the traditional uniform of the youth rebellion. The tradition continued in the 60's with hippies and their often colorful and mismatched Converse, in the 70's with punk rock culture and the Ramones, in the 80's with kids everywhere. Musicians like Green Day and Pearl Jam donned Chucks as well as a huge number of other musicians, actors, and celebrities. Even with their mass popularity, Converse company was on the decline by the late 80's and into the 90's. The era of the 80's saw a rise in fancy air soles, gels, pumps and other high technology for sneakers. Converse, in a moment of foresight, invests in the industry's first biomechanics research lab. The company soon introduced several performance technologies to compete with the surge of new competitors in the athletic shoe arena, but found that in spite of their long history of tradition and performance, they couldn't compete. Here is brief overview of Converse during the 1980's and early 90's.Converse is an American legend. You've probably owned a pair. Take a stroll to your local coffee shop or better yet, drive by a local high school and you're guaranteed to see at least one pair of Chucks or probably more than one pair. These classic shoes are available in the original form and in a variety of new materials, colors, prints, and special features, and the Chucks continue to make numerous appearances on the celebrity feet, with rock stars and musicians, just about everywhere else. Owning a pair of Chucks is like owning a piece of history with all the prestige that implies, and n a time when things change so rapidly in the sneaker industry, you can always count on Converse to be exactly like you remember them from last year, the last decade, or from your childhood.****History from
http://www.sneakerhead.com/manufacture-converse.html
