I can specifically recall a memory from college when a group of us were going out in Old City Philadelphia and the bouncer refused to let me in because my sneakers didn’t comply with their dress code. I looked at him and instinctively responded, “but sir, these aren’t sneakers… these are Chuck Taylors.”
The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star is more than just a sneaker.
As I walked through the launch of the upcoming All Star Modern something triggered a Devil Wears Prada moment where I realized that the original All Star is so deeply integrated into the history of our culture that we wouldn’t be here, in New York City for this launch, if it wasn’t.
The All Star has led the footwear industry in athletic innovation. Whether or not you’ve taken notice, this shoe has had its hand in continually shaping sneaker culture and the All Star Modern is the next step in the modernization of footwear.
How can a single shoe model, especially one whose core design has remained unchanged for so many years, lead an industry so strongly influenced by technology and design evolution? It’s simple. Take a look at the last century of sneaker innovations by the Converse brand.
The Converse All Star, originally named Converse Non-Skid, was invented in 1917. To put things into perspective, that’s almost 50 years before Nike’s waffle sole was even a prototype, 81 years before you were able to “Google” about Converse’s lengthy history and exactly 90 years before the first generation iPhone was announced.
So what are the elements that make the All Star historically innovative?
What is now considered a casual sneaker was originally developed to perform as a basketball shoe. Although you might balk at the idea of today’s NBA players running up and down the court in Chuck Taylors, the shoe was specifically designed to be the top of the line performance sneaker. It stayed the official shoe of America’s beloved sport for over 40 years until it’s last days on the NBA court in the late 1970s.
The 1917 Non-Skid was designed with a diamond patterned sole to enhance traction, a rugged toe guard to protect your toes during fast paced stop-and-go motions and those little eyelets just above the insole? Ventilation eyelets meant to allow for cool comfort throughout gameplay. Sometimes it might be tough to remember that these innovative design elements were conceived over 80 years ago and perfected in the 1930’s.
Have you ever wondered why the ankle patch is on the inside of the shoe? It was a technological decision, an additional way to provide ankle support. When we spoke to Converse archivist Sam Smallridge, he mentioned that at one point they even created the Converse All Star Trainer, a model that distinguished itself by its navy blue toe cap, a weighted shoe, about two pounds per shoe, aimed to improve your training.
In the early 80s, Converse embarked on forging innovation developments in the footwear industry by building a tech lab that would host a research and development team. At the time, they were the second and only one of two footwear labs in America. This team was tasked with staying abreast of innovative performance designs and quality testing products.
Ryan Case, global footwear product director of Converse Inc. spoke with us at the Converse Modern launch, “In the 1920’s we were very focused on creating industry-leading performance products via innovation,” he explained, “and now we look back to our past to help inspire our future.”
“We have an obligation to evolve and progress for the customer, for the consumer, to make sure they have a broad array of style and products from us,” Case reminds us.
Consumer feedback has always been one of the preferred methods of innovation for Converse. You can find vintage advertisements that boast their tech promise, “Tested through two seasons!”. So it come as no surprise that the design team behind the All Star Modern has adopted the practice as well, “We actually get out and spend time with the consumers, we emerge ourselves in their environments, we spend time with them on a daily basis globally. Making sure we fully understand who they are and what they want from us as a brand.”
How the Star takes after the swoosh
The All Star Modern is taking the design towards a version that is focused on being lightweight and even more comfortable, “This product is what brings all of that together. The Chuck II was the starting point for us to be able to do something like this.”
It was only a matter of time after the acquisition of Converse by Nike in 2003 that we, as an audience, knew to expect the fusing of Nike’s technology into the iconic frame of the Converse All Star. When we asked Case what he was most excited about the Converse Modern design he elaborated by saying, “I think the most amazing part of the product is the use of Phylon. It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve done something outside of vulcanized rubber.”
The rise to popularity of the All Star is not solely through their deeply rooted basketball and athletic history but even more so from the adoption by cultural icons such as Kurt Cobain, Hunter S. Thompson and the first lady Michelle Obama. They have not simply been a canvas and vulcanized rubber shoe but even more so a unifying symbol of casual cool.
The versatility of this specific model is unparalleled. There is no other single shoe design that has been adopted by as many subcultures as the Converse All Star. Adored so much so that the common saying amongst sneakerheads and Converse purists has been, “Don’t Fuck with the Chuck.”
So what’s new about the design of the Converse Modern?
Knit uppers with Nike Hyperfuse, a Phylon outsole, a TPU-fused overlaid toecap, neoprene split tongue and lining, but what does all of this mean? It means that the design team has created a more lightweight, more comfortable and more contemporary aesthetic of the classic shape.
If this design feels like a departure from the original Converse All Star then you haven’t been paying attention. The newly designed Converse All Star Modern is exactly where the brand needs to be. It feels as though this is only the beginning for a new wave of tech innovation in casual footwear and when we asked Ryan Case what comes next he coyly responded, “I can’t tell you just yet but I can tell you that this is the tip of the iceberg.”
The company has been focused on delivering innovative designs that are geared towards it’s consumer’s performance. It just so happens that we’ve, as consumers, have innovated ourselves as new age performers. Our fast-paced society is always on the go and we need a shoe that can keep up.
Enter in the Converse All Star Modern.
Check out our full recap video.
I can specifically recall a memory from college when a group of us were going out in Old City Philadelphia and the bouncer refused to let me in because my sneakers didn’t comply with their dress code. I looked at him and instinctively responded, “but sir, these aren’t sneakers… these are Chuck Taylors.”
The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star is more than just a sneaker.
As I walked through the launch of the upcoming All Star Modern something triggered a Devil Wears Prada moment where I realized that the original All Star is so deeply integrated into the history of our culture that we wouldn’t be here, in New York City for this launch, if it wasn’t.
The All Star has led the footwear industry in athletic innovation. Whether or not you’ve taken notice, this shoe has had its hand in continually shaping sneaker culture and the All Star Modern is the next step in the modernization of footwear.
How can a single shoe model, especially one whose core design has remained unchanged for so many years, lead an industry so strongly influenced by technology and design evolution? It’s simple. Take a look at the last century of sneaker innovations by the Converse brand.
The Converse All Star, originally named Converse Non-Skid, was invented in 1917. To put things into perspective, that’s almost 50 years before Nike’s waffle sole was even a prototype, 81 years before you were able to “Google” about Converse’s lengthy history and exactly 90 years before the first generation iPhone was announced.
“We have an obligation to evolve and progress for the customer, for the consumer, to make sure they have a broad array of style and products from us”
So what are the elements that make the All Star historically innovative?
What is now considered a casual sneaker was originally developed to perform as a basketball shoe. Although you might balk at the idea of today’s NBA players running up and down the court in Chuck Taylors, the shoe was specifically designed to be the top of the line performance sneaker. It stayed the official shoe of America’s beloved sport for over 40 years until it’s last days on the NBA court in the late 1970s.
The 1917 Non-Skid was designed with a diamond patterned sole to enhance traction, a rugged toe guard to protect your toes during fast paced stop-and-go motions and those little eyelets just above the insole? Ventilation eyelets meant to allow for cool comfort throughout gameplay. Sometimes it might be tough to remember that these innovative design elements were conceived over 80 years ago and perfected in the 1930’s.
Have you ever wondered why the ankle patch is on the inside of the shoe? It was a technological decision, an additional way to provide ankle support. When we spoke to Converse archivist Sam Smallridge, he mentioned that at one point they even created the Converse All Star Trainer, a model that distinguished itself by its navy blue toe cap, a weighted shoe, about two pounds per shoe, aimed to improve your training.
In the early 80s, Converse embarked on forging innovation developments in the footwear industry by building a tech lab that would host a research and development team. At the time, they were the second and only one of two footwear labs in America. This team was tasked with staying abreast of innovative performance designs and quality testing products.
Ryan Case, global footwear product director of Converse Inc. spoke with us at the Converse Modern launch, “In the 1920’s we were very focused on creating industry-leading performance products via innovation,” he explained, “and now we look back to our past to help inspire our future.”
“We have an obligation to evolve and progress for the customer, for the consumer, to make sure they have a broad array of style and products from us,” Case reminds us.
Consumer feedback has always been one of the preferred methods of innovation for Converse. You can find vintage advertisements that boast their tech promise, “Tested through two seasons!”. So it come as no surprise that the design team behind the All Star Modern has adopted the practice as well, “We actually get out and spend time with the consumers, we emerge ourselves in their environments, we spend time with them on a daily basis globally. Making sure we fully understand who they are and what they want from us as a brand.”
How the Star takes after the swoosh
The All Star Modern is taking the design towards a version that is focused on being lightweight and even more comfortable, “This product is what brings all of that together. The Chuck II was the starting point for us to be able to do something like this.”
It was only a matter of time after the acquisition of Converse by Nike in 2003 that we, as an audience, knew to expect the fusing of Nike’s technology into the iconic frame of the Converse All Star. When we asked Case what he was most excited about the Converse Modern design he elaborated by saying, “I think the most amazing part of the product is the use of Phylon. It’s the first time in a long time that we’ve done something outside of vulcanized rubber.”
The rise to popularity of the All Star is not solely through their deeply rooted basketball and athletic history but even more so from the adoption by cultural icons such as Kurt Cobain, Hunter S. Thompson and the first lady Michelle Obama. They have not simply been a canvas and vulcanized rubber shoe but even more so a unifying symbol of casual cool.
The versatility of this specific model is unparalleled. There is no other single shoe design that has been adopted by as many subcultures as the Converse All Star. Adored so much so that the common saying amongst sneakerheads and Converse purists has been, “Don’t Fuck with the Chuck.”
So what’s new about the design of the Converse Modern?
Knit uppers with Nike Hyperfuse, a Phylon outsole, a TPU-fused overlaid toecap, neoprene split tongue and lining, but what does all of this mean? It means that the design team has created a more lightweight, more comfortable and more contemporary aesthetic of the classic shape.
If this design feels like a departure from the original Converse All Star then you haven’t been paying attention. The newly designed Converse All Star Modern is exactly where the brand needs to be. It feels as though this is only the beginning for a new wave of tech innovation in casual footwear and when we asked Ryan Case what comes next he coyly responded, “I can’t tell you just yet but I can tell you that this is the tip of the iceberg.”
The company has been focused on delivering innovative designs that are geared towards it’s consumer’s performance. It just so happens that we’ve, as consumers, have innovated ourselves as new age performers. Our fast-paced society is always on the go and we need a shoe that can keep up.
Enter in the Converse All Star Modern.
Check out our full recap video.