In 1908, a man by the name of Marquis Mills Converse decided to launch a rubber shoe company in Malden, Massachusetts. Many magazines talked about the trucks that left the Converse factory delivering products to many stores in Boston. It seemed that Marquis’s idea had worked. Although no one knows for sure how it happened, around 1928 Chuck Taylor joined the Converse Rubber Company and history was in the making.
During World War II there was a shortage of many soldier necessities and this provided Converse with an opportunity to get their products noticed. Manufacturing parkas, boots for pilots and army servicemen, ponchos, footwear and rubber protective suits for service men and women overseas, became the main focus for Converse manufacturing. In 1974, the already popular All Star sneaker received a makeover and was remade with suede in eye-catching colours and a large bold star on the side. The shoe was being made for basketball but due to the boldness of the shoe it became irresistible to skaters, rockers and many rebellious souls. The Converse sneaker has since remained a cult trainer across the world and will always remain famous in the history of basketball. World famous badminton player Jack Purcell helped to propel the brand further into the limelight and as a tribute, Converse’s most exclusive trainer is the Converse Jack Purcell. Converse regularly collaborates with designers and celebrities such as John Varvatos and Comme des Garcons.