Category: Finance


Oct
2017

Ever notice something fuzzy on the sole of fresh new Chucks?

categories: Finance, Popular Culture, Retail, Shoes

It’s always there, but we never questioned it. When you get a new pair of Chuck Taylors, you may have noticed that there is a nice fuzzy sole. Something that almost looks like the little sticks of rubber coming out of a brand new tire. Well, the extruding rubber on a tire is to classify the tire as new or slightly worn.

Why do Chuck Taylors have a fuzzy or felt sole?

According to Smithsonian Magazine’s Smart News:

Felt on your sneakers is there not for function, but for economics – shoes with fuzzy soles are taxed less when imported than those with rubber ones

By adding the felt to the sole of the shoe, this classifies the Chuck Taylor Sneaker as slippers, not sneakers. Perhaps you have noticed that the first few days of wearing your fresh new sneakers are a tad bit slippery? This could be why. The not so distance cousin of the Chuck Taylor shoe, PF Flyers, are known to do this as well.

Now, the interesting thing is that this tariff is only related to the US, so you may not see these type of fuzzy soles on a fresh pair of international Chucks.

Read more on Smithsonianmag.com 

UPDATE: This has been “debunked” by reddit! Check out the reddit thread here: https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/ax86ev/til_new_converse_chuck_taylor_allstar_sneakers/


Oct
2016

Analysts worry Nike shareholders, claiming Chuck Taylor II reboot a “flop”

categories: Finance, News, Nike

The Chuck Taylor II was released in 2015. We covered the Neon release of the refresh earlier this year. The show comes with a slightly varying design (all white bumper), more padding, and a hefty price tag.

However, analysts from Wall Street are mentioning that the stock of Nike (NKE) has been drowning since the release of the shoe in 2015. Nike acquired the Chuck Taylor brand in 2003 and the overall revenue for the company sky rocketed.

We think it’s too soon to pull the plug on the Chuck Taylor II rebrand and refresh, and feel that the analysts are overlooking the brand definition of the Chuck Taylor and focusing only on the numbers. Despite the numbers not being there, the sales of Chuck Taylor original are still at a healthy stage.

Update: Looks like what we were reporting came to be true. Converse reportedly has removed Converse Chuck Taylor II from the shelves in US and Canada.