Converse remained wildly popular during the 70's and 80's as they continued to be a symbol of counter-culture. This tradition of rebellion started with greasers and the rebel without a cause. White t-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and sneakers were the traditional uniform of the youth rebellion. The tradition continued in the 60's with hippies and their often colorful and mismatched Converse, in the 70's with punk rock culture and the Ramones, in the 80's with kids everywhere. Musicians like Green Day and Pearl Jam donned Chucks as well as a huge number of other musicians, actors, and celebrities. Even with their mass popularity, Converse company was on the decline by the late 80's and into the 90's. The era of the 80's saw a rise in fancy air soles, gels, pumps and other high technology for sneakers. Converse, in a moment of foresight, invests in the industry's first biomechanics research lab. The company soon introduced several performance technologies to compete with the surge of new competitors in the athletic shoe arena, but found that in spite of their long history of tradition and performance, they couldn't compete. Here is brief overview of Converse during the 1980's and early 90's:
NCAA championship was won by North Carolina in white/carolina blue Pro Leathers when freshman Michael Jordan sinks a game-saving basket with 17 seconds to go, thus earning the Converse Pro Leather shoe the nickname the "Buzzer Beater"
Dr. J led his team to an NBA Championship while wearing Converse - his footwear of choice throughout his career.
Converse was the Official Sponsor of the 1984 Olympic Games and the U.S. men's basketball team wins gold with Converse shoes on their feet.
Converse's biomechanics investment paid off when the lab delivered the industry's first high-tech midsole cushioning systems.
Converse unveiled The Weapon, with the ad campaign "Choose Your Weapons," featuring two pro basketball players facing off in Converse shoes.
Converse introduced the state-of-the-art REACT custom-fit technology, increasing basketball shoe cushioning, stability, and support.
Converse and the demand for its rubber-toed shoes began to decline in the 70's and continued to decline through the next 20 years through a combination of poor business decisions, lack of money to compete in technology and marketing, and simple bad luck. Despite its investment in the biomechanics lab, Converse simply could not keep up with the technologies released by their younger competitors and soon Converse was dropped as the official shoe of the NBA.. A disastrous acquisition of apparel maker ApexOne in 1995 left the company drowning in debt. Nike signed Michael Jordan whose personality, playing ability, and overall good image brought Nike fame and success. Converse signed Latrell Sprewell who was later dropped after he tried to choke his coach. Sales declined and the company was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2001. The company closed its last U.S. factory and moved manufacturing to Asia when the company changed hands, and in July 2003, Converse accepted an offer from Nike to buy out the company for $305 million. Nike's acquisition of this American institution raced many questions and much controversy with fans of the classic Converse Chuck Taylors. To date, Converse remains a Swoosh-free zone and many old styles have been re-released, but for some people the appeal of Chucks has faded since sportswear giant Nike came into the picture.
Converse is an American legend. You've probably owned a pair. Take a stroll to your local coffee shop or better yet, drive by a local high school and you're guaranteed to see at least one pair of Chucks or probably more than one pair. These classic shoes are available in the original form and in a variety of new materials, colors, prints, and special features, and the Chucks continue to make numerous appearances on the celebrity feet, with rock stars and musicians, just about everywhere else. Owning a pair of Chucks is like owning a piece of history with all the prestige that implies, and n a time when things change so rapidly in the sneaker industry, you can always count on Converse to be exactly like you remember them from last year, the last decade, or from your childhood.
