Converse Research Paper

Maroons and grays, obnoxious greens and purples, Dr. Suesse, florals, mints, creams, and blacks have littered my bedroom floor for the last six-plus years. From low-tops to knee-high high-tops, each pair has offered me the confidence to take the next step. To this day, the sight of a battered toe cap and a peeling racing stripe makes me feel like I am anyone and everyone that has ever worn these classic canvas shoes. I am the confident ‘50s high school basketball star racing down the court and my carefree 8-year-old-self sprinting across the backyard with my

The revolutionary marketing campaign surrounding the unproven rookie was considered very urban for the time. During Nike’s early years, they had a difficult time pushing sales for their brand new athletic sneakers filled with air. This all changed seemingly overnight when the young Jordan took the basketball world by storm, dominating the opposition night in and night out. The Air Jordan I launched in 1985 in a black and red colorway to match the uniform of the Chicago Bulls. For $80, people could purchase a pair and experience what Nike called “human flight”. To add even more to the Nike and Jordan craze, the Jordan I failed to meet the National Basketball Association’s sneaker color standards at the time, due to a lack of white color. Jordan refused to stop wearing his own shoe, and the NBA began to fine him $5,000 per game that he wore the shoe. Because of Michael’s outstanding performance on the court, the Jordan I was flying off the shelves, selling out at almost every major retailer. These sales were more than enough for Nike, so they began to pay off the fines from the NBA. Then, the greatest sports ban in history took effect. On October 18th, 1985, the NBA officially banned the Nike Air Jordan I from the league, making it illegal to wear them for play. What was thought to be the death of the sneaker was the complete opposite. Nike pushed back

Michael Jordan’s, Nike, Adidas and Puma their shoe sales went up in the 1980’s. Amber J. Keyset started to design different shoes starting with Michael Jordans. When one pair was released more people grew into them either for the style or the history behind the pair. “Sneakerhead;a person who collects trade and/or admires sneakers as a form of a hobby, knowledgeability on sneakers”(Powell). Sneakerhead culture impacted the society with its new look and style by making them more desirable and increasing the shoe industry.

It all started with a Jumpman and a swoosh, it was more than just a shoe it was the start of a culture. What most people look at as just a shoe to protect their feet has a story behind it and a deeper meaning to me and many others than “just a pair of shoes”. Don’t put on a pair of shoes unless you know how to wear them right. For every pair I own I could explain the troubles I went through and the people I met to get each sneaker. The best feeling was opening that fresh shoe box and taking out that paper wrapping. Putting on each new pair of sneakers is like taking a breath of fresh air each pair crisp as bacon. I am one among many sneakerheads, people who love to buy, sell, trade, and collect rare shoes. There is a culture, lifestyle, and history behind sneaker collecting. Most people would think dropping hundreds if not thousands on a pair of shoes is crazy but I believe sneakers are essential.

Not to mention, Michael Jordan also had a thing for shoes. Nike seen the opportunity to let him be a part of the Nike family and Jordan happily accepted. His first shoe was

Simple beat, simple rhyme scheme, strong message. "Vans don't cost G's, real niggaz wear these – Vans," says a member of The Pack in the music video aptly titled "Vans." You may be asking yourself, "So, what's the big deal?" The big, highly lucrative deal is the marriage between big name corporations and their partnership with hip-hop. It's nothing new: Run-DMC had "My adiddas", LL Cool J wore Kangol hats, and even Jay-Z incorporated drinking Cristal into his lyrics for a long period of time. With that being said, the new hip-hop generation of today faces many adversities from years and years of subliminal marketing within their own sub-culture. The effects of hyper-commercialism are evident in American

The year an NBA legend started his professional career, Michael Jordan. He established himself as a very dominant player averaging 28.2 points per game in his rookie year. Soon after that he won the rookie of the year award topping off his first season in the NBA. Outside of the court, Jordan signed off a major deal with Nike shoes called Air Jordans. Which influenced the fashion industry forever. Every company wanted to associate themselves with the next big star. Throughout the decade every company from Adidas to Reebok was throwing their names out there to get into the act this started the so-called “sneaker wars”.

Their people who try to get the rarest shoes to add to their collection. Guthrie, a baseball player told interviewers about his vast collection held in his Utah home, he’s grown roughly 500 pairs(Skretta). Shoes are what dominate this subculture with the main distributors being Nike and Jordans. To many sneakerheads its harmless fun and to others its a business(Rahman). This group falls in love with their shoes caring for it as if it were a baby. Others see it as an opportunity to make a quick buck with an underground economy of shoes. However, is their another reason why these shoes are desirable? By many creative minds the shoes express their emotions and from a former sneakerhead “it’s like collecting fine art,” proclaimed by by keeney(Skretta). When someone has an emotional attachment to an object its hard to separate them. That is one of the reasons why sneakerheads have an obsession. Sneakerheads don’t only think about themselves. The culture helps out the economy as one sneakerhead will buy one to five pairs of shoes a month. When it comes to getting what you want money would be something you care less about if you have it. The community also sparked many conventions where people trade shoes and buy or sell them while also bringing everyone together to have interactions creating a great

Upon entering high school, sandals and average sneakers were no longer good enough. Instead I became more comfortable with myself when I was introduced to the Retro Air Jordans. It was then that I realized my sneakers had become a reflection of my identity and individuality. One of

The use of specific athletes in marketing campaigns really began to show promise when athletes like Jordan began wearing their own brands of shoes. The idea to consumers or fans of the NBA that they could wear the same shoes as Michael Jordan, and somehow play like him was an easy sell by Nike. Today it is now common for marketable athletes in almost all sports to wear their own style of shoes, spikes, or skates. An interesting point to make is that through Nike Michael Jordan eventually launched his own clothing line called Jumpman23 that makes everything from socks and underwear to winter coats. Even though Jordan has been retired since 1999 the Jumpman23 company has continued to release a new shoe every single year that are simply called “Jordan 24”, an increasing corresponding number to the number of years the shoes have been produced. The new Jordan shoes still retails at over $150 a pair even though Mike hasn’t stepped on the court in 11 years! After retirement and becoming the CEO of the Jumpman brand Michael Jordan has been able to court other famous athletes from a variety of sports to wear his brand. A few examples of the athletes include Derek Jeter (baseball), Dwayne Wade (basketball), Jason Taylor (football), and April Holmes (track and field). The wide range of athletes in all different sports who now market a brand for arguably the greatest athlete of all time truly shows the money, power, and influence an athlete can experience

Chuck Taylor endorsed Converse in 1923. Arthur Chan states “Basketball players found that the high top version of their converse sneakers supported their ankles when playing the sport, making them a sought-after item amongst NBA players. One such basketball player was Chuck Taylor, who in 1923, endorsed the brand’s sneakers by becoming a Converse ambassador, forever making Converse All-Stars a fashionable sneaker.” According to “The History of Sneakers,” “In 1936, Adidas became the must-have sneaker for every kid in America, when track athlete Jesse Owens wore Adidas sneakers during his four gold medal win at Berlin Olympics. This was a key moment in the history of sneakers.

Many of us are clueless on what goes on in the world. Rolling Stone magazine is a way for the younger generation to experience different styles. Whether it be from shoes, to music, to learning about young pop stars on the rise, the younger generation has a way of finding all the latest trends and ideas. The Britton Hill collection company is attempting to capitalize on the young audience of rolling stone to sell their product, particularly because most people in the world suffer from either uncomfortable stylish shoes or comfortable unstylish shoes. They grasp the idea of how a shoe can be more than just one thing. They can be comfortable, stylish, and able to withstand harsh conditions. The Britton Hill Collection did a wonderful job creating

To begin, many sneakers are known history. Many years ago, a pair of shoes was only six dollars and that was technically considered expensive and only the wealthiest people could afford to buy them. According to the article “The History of Sneakers” , it says, “In 1868, sneakers cost six dollars a pair so only the wealthy people could afford to wear them…”. So back then, even the wealthiest people could afford a pair of shoes that cost

Ever since I was an 11-year-old prepubescent child, I have been in love with sneakers. Now we aren’t just talking any type of sneakers that you would wear on any normal day. No. I am talking the high-class stuff. Those Air Jordans that you see in a glass case in some fancy sneaker store in the middle of New York City. I took a huge liking to these sneakers, falling in love with each pair that I had owned. As I got older, to my surprise, I found that there wasn’t a small group of people on Long Island that were exactly like I am with sneakers, but instead a gigantic population across the world. I found that there were

Have you ever wondered who created sneakers? 3,000 years ago the Maya, Olmecs,and Aztecs were the first known creators of sneakers. There are many different types of them and Chuck Taylor was a huge impact on why sneakers are so popular.