Founded by Marquis M. Converse in 1908.

  Converse claims to be “America’s original sports company” and it would not be unfair to say that it has become part of the fabric of American popular culture itself. it is best known for the legendary Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe, which was first introduced in 1917 with the specific aim of enhancing the performance of the wearer and took the name of Chuck Taylor, proponent and player of basketball, in 1923. The Chucks soon became an icon of American sportswear, a position it has maintained ever since. Converse has sold over 750 million pairs of the canvas and rubber classic in 144 countries.

  The brand is also renowned for the signature footwear of 1930s badminton champion Jack Purcell. This model was purchased by Converse from another manufacturer, B.F.Goodrich, in 1972, but is now counted among the company’s sneaker classics.

  The roots and reputation of the Converse brand lie in basketball, and many basketball shoes in Converse’s range evolved from the basis of the original All Star shoe. Both the All Star Pro and Leather Pro were worn by such basketball greats as Julius Erving (aka Dr J) and were a prominent feature of the most memorable NBA games from the 1970s and 19880s. The classic One Star, originally released in 1974, helped Converse to establish a broader fan base and remains hugely popular today – you will see Converse sneakers worn by sports stars and rock stars( Kurt Cobain was a fan ), skaters and surfers.

  By the end of the 1980s the brand started to struggle, and it hithard times financially in the late 90s, before being acquired by industry giant Nike. This has put the brand in an interesting position – the oldest American sports shoe brand being bought by the comparatively new kid on the block. The Converse brand had acquired a certain subculture edge to it in the 80s and 90s, so it will be fascinating to see how that audience reacts to the brand being owned by the guys from Oregon.