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.


Sep
2016

Chuck Taylor Fulton

categories: Chuck Spotting, Fashion, Shoes

Chuck Taylor Fulton is out with new styles. The classic rubber sole with a modern sneaker look and a pull tab for the heel. The Chuck Taylor Fulton is a clean cut look on a classic sneaker.

The Fulton is currently on display at select Converse stores around the world. What makes these sneakers super fresh is the stylistic pattern on the side with a Converse fit but modern look.


Jul
2016

New Balance Wins Case Against Converse and Chuck Taylor Design

categories: News, Shoes

In 2014 Converse filed a Trademark for certain aspects of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe design. Among other design elements, this included the stripe through the sole and aspects of the rubber toe cap, and toe bumper.

Based on the result of a ruling from 18 July 2016, the lawsuits of over 30 different shoe manufacturers has been dropped as the Trademark infringement cases did not go through.

What does this mean? Converse has less power to fight other brands from creating shoes similar to the Converse Chuck Taylor All Star.

Does this mean that more shoes will come out like the Chuck Taylor All Star? Not likely, the shoe has been replicated in many ways by many different brands. And remember, you can always spot authentic chucks by the “ALL STAR” printed on the heel.

 


May
2016

Converse Pride Collection

categories: Fashion, Popular Culture, Seasonal, Shoes
Converse Shoes

The Converse Pride collection comes to us with vibrant rainbow colors and wild stylistic updates to our favorite Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Shoe. With Pride Parades coming to us throughout the nation, it’s a nice way to show off what we and others stand for – equality for all. San Francisco, being one of the largest pride parades in the nation, will kick off on June 25th so these Chucks come just in time for the festivities.



 

Converse pride shoes

Not only are these styles fresh and bold, but they are a limited edition series so be sure to grab them while they are still available.

Grab your pair at one of the links below.

 


May
2016

Silicon Valley and the Converse Sneaker

categories: Fashion

The attire of Silicon Valley comes up quite a bit when it comes to matters of professional attire. The “hacker” look which typically consists of a hoodie and jeans is becoming a popular staple in the software development and hi-tech community. As tech focused companies are starting to sprout in different regions of the world, we are seeing that this fashion sense is going along with it.

Part of the attire includes hoodie, jeans, and the oh so common sneaker, often times being a Converse Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker. Underneath the hood however, you’ll see venture capitalists sporting expensive watches and designer jeans despite wearing a hoodie with sneakers – the wealth is still there.

The reason for this lack of typical suite jacket and leather shoes is that the founders and entrepreneurs are said to be so focused on the product that they are creating, that they need to be as comfortable as possible. Moreover, founders like Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page have been known to wear the same exact thing every day because it’s “one less decision to make”.

Perhaps the trend of wearing hoodies and Converse sneakers will spread to other industries, perhaps even Wall Street.


Apr
2016

Converse in Retail

categories: Retail, Shoes

We have seen Converse to continue to expand it’s retail footprint over the year. The brand is doing a great job at keeping flagship stores alive and expanding into other branches of retail as well. The flagship stores in areas such as Chicago and San Francisco have gone above and beyond to integrate new technologies and retail practices into their stores. The San Francisco retail store for example, had a custom screen printing shop directly in the store for customers to print on t-shirts or even Chuck Taylors.

The retail presence continue to expand in outlet malls throughout the US and also in the department stores. We look forward to see Converse do new and exciting things in the retail store environment and the brand continues to grow.

Many brands that spread to mass market retail often times face hardships with the brand being tarnished. We see this example in retail brands such as FUBU or Fila, brands that are extremely popular outside the United States but has lost brand value within the US. Converse has maintained a strong brand presence in both the US and global markets as their retail presence continues to grow.