Youth Culture has many different modes of expression with fashion or style being one of them. One of the easiest ways for a teen to express them self is the style of shoes they wear. Almost every day of your life, anywhere you go, and with any outfit, shoes are worn. When people pick out shoes, some may go for comfort while others may go for color, brand or price. A popular shoe for teens is the brand Converse. The Converse Rubber Shoe Company was created in 1908 and nine years later came out the with Converse’s star shoe, the All Star (Retroland 1). The All Star brand of Converse is also known as "Chuck Taylors" or "Chucks" for short. The earliest All Stars gave you the option of only two colors, black or white, and now come in a wide variety of colors and styles for both females and males (Retroland 1). It started off as the shoe for basketball players, and now is worn by anyone of any age but with the focus being towards teens. These shoes have appeared in many movies, T.V. shows and are worn by many bands which helps give its appeal towards the viewers or fans. The Converse All Star is the All American Sneaker.
For many teens having their own identity is key, making fashion an easy way for them to express who they are. Different scenes in Youth Culture wear different styles of clothing but the All Star Converse shoes are worn by many individuals in different youth culture scenes. One of the appeals of the shoes is the different styles it comes in such as the Chuck Taylor All Star hi cut, low cut and slip on shoe (Converse 1). Another appeal of the shoe is the wide variety of colors ranging from green all the way to the traditional black or from prints with bubbles or the British flag (Chucks Connect 1). It is one of the most popular shoe choice with 60% of Americans have owned or own at least one pair of these shoes (Chucks Connect 1). This classic fashion item is worn by many regular people of different occupations and interests along with celebrities. “For many people, chucks represent freedom: freedom from the world of work (although these days many people are fortunate enough to be able to wear them at work), freedom of expression, with many colors to choose from to express individuality, freedom from heavy boots and shoes that weigh your feet down, and the freedom associated with summers and vacations” (Chucks Connect 3). The All Star “Chuck Taylors” has been around for almost a century and still very fashionable.
The rubber sole with canvas that comes up to the ankle was designed and made popular here in the United States. Marquis M. Converse created the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Massachusetts (Retroland 1). The shoe company decided to design the All Star for the growing sports market and became a legend when basketball player Chuck Taylor would never be caught playing basketball for the Akron Firestones without his All Star shoes one again (Retroland 1). This Shoe was the first mass produced basketball shoe in Northern America (Chucks Connect 1). Chuck Taylor believed in the shoe so much he decided to work for Converse in 1921 selling the shoes and later became a player/coach for the Converse All Stars which was the company’s industrial league basketball team (Chucks Connect 1). The white high top was designed for the Olympics in 1936 and later became the “Official” shoe the United States Armed Forces (Chucks Connects 1). It wasn’t until 1957 that the All Star low cut was introduced and became just as popular (Chucks Connects 1). The Converse shoes started being worn by many famous musicians and by the younger generations. In the 80s and 90s the ownership changed many times until 2001 when the company had to file for bankruptcy (Chucks Connect 2). Unfortunately the manufacturing is now being made in Asia and the Company has been bought out by its rival Nike (Chucks Connect 3). Over 750 million shoes have been sold in its 80 years of existence with probably more years and sales to come (Chucks Connect 1). Since mid 50s the Converse shoe has transformed, gone through rough times, and keeps reinventing itself.
This Converse phenomenon has been marketed towards the youth culture through many types of media such as the T.V., movies, and Magazines ads. The shoe has also been worn by many musicians on an everyday basis and for performances. Some of the T.V. shows that we grew up watching and watch now have actors wear the All Star shoes including Are You Afraid of The Dark?, The OC, Full House, Mythbusters, Heroes, and Seinfeld (Chucks Connect 7). They have been featured as ads in magazines such as Vogue and GQ (Chucks Connect 1). These converse shoes have also been appearing in films for decades. Some of the most popular films you can find them in are Grease, Footloose, West Side Story, Sandlot, American Pie, Happy Gilmore, The Pursuit of Happyness, and i Robot (Chucks Connect 8). The All Star has been worn by bands for decades also including but not limiting to Green Day, Phil Collins, Metallica, Poison, Jason Mraz, and The Early November (Chucks Connect 2). Even Otto Graham of the Cleveland Browns football team wears Converse (Chucks Connect 1). Many of you have probably watched these T.V. shows, Movies, or listen to these bands and never knew that they were related to Converses in a way. There are also many more bands, movies, T.V. shows and movies the Converses appear in. By these shoes being worn by someone’s favorite band or actor, it may make a fan decide “it’s cool” to wear those shoes and buy a pair them self. Converse has been very lucky over the years to have famous people who enjoy wearing the shoes because it acts as a way of marketing.
The Converse All Star is the teen shoe of choice because of comfort, fashion, popularity, and media. Teens can wear them when they are wearing jeans or playing sports and can match many outfits if they are just black or have a design on the canvas. One of the best features of the Converse “Chuck Taylor” All Star is its simplicity. There is no doubt when I say this shoe has been around for decades and will probably around for a couple more. It is obvious that there is a reason why the All Star has been so popular and been around for so long. Converse doesn’t need many marketing tools with all the appearances it has in the media. With the many different styles and wide selection of color there is a shoe that could probably be perfect for any teen wanting to express themselves.
“Chuck Taylor is smiling every time someone laces up a pair of his "Chuck Taylor" sneakers.” Chuck Connect
Works Cited:
" Converse (Chuck Taylor All-Star)." Retroland. 13 Apr. 2009 http://www.retroland.com/pages/retropedia/fashion/item/3229
The ChucksConnection. 2009. Hal Peterson Media Services. 13 Apr. 2009 http://chucksconnection.com
Converse - Chuck Taylor, Jack Purcell, Basketball Shoes, Design Your Own Converse Shoes. 13 Apr. 2009 http://www.converse.com
Images:
http://chucksconnection.com/celebritiesblackfilm/index.html
http://chucksconnection.com/musicians.html
http://chucksconnection.com/tv.html
http://www.kicksonfire.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/scott_patt.jpg
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkW09BZcSoM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxdFfcanmUM&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGFDPZ4c8Gs
This was a great topic choice that I probably never would have considered. I was very interested to learn the history of converse. You did a good job explaining how they relate to youth culture, and the commericals you showed really helped to prove your point. Great Job!
ReplyDeleteI love your topic choice. It was something that isn't typically on peoples' minds and that made it a very informative and engaging to hear about. I especially loved the commercial you chose to show us; it really emphasized how these shoes are marketed specifically towards people our age. Good job.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that I missed this presentation, being a strong supporter of converse shoes. I couldn't talk about shoes for 30 seconds, so it would have been interesting to see this. You certainly had a TON of supporting sources and information in your paper, however, so I'm sure you had enough to talk about. Also, nice "Are you Afraid of the Dark?" reference...that show was awesome!
ReplyDeleteSuch a neat topic. I didn't realize converse had so many styles and options until you went into them. It was cool that you related something as simple as a brand of shoes to something as complex as youth culture.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to say that I've never worn a pair of these shoes. But your presentation made me want to go out and buy a pair! You should be the spokes person for them. Did you notice that your blog background has the star in the circle just like converses do? If so, kudos!
ReplyDeleteI loved your presentation probably because my converse are my favorite pair of shoes. I wear them all the time. I thought it was interesting how you showed the history of the shoes and how much influence they have held. Good job!
ReplyDeleteThis was a great presentation. I love chucks, I think they're so cute. It was cool to see where they came from and the commercials were great. Good job
ReplyDeleteI loved your topic! I'm a huge fan of Converse shoes. It was really interesting to learn about how they got started and gained all their popularity. And I didn't know that they are now owned by Nike, news to me! I definitely agree that shoes are a huge form of expression of teens and adults alike!
ReplyDeleteYour topic was so interesting, and I never would have thought to write about shoes! Converse really are a huge part of youth culture, and I loved hearing about the origins of the shoe! great job!
ReplyDeleteYour topic was very creative. I had never thought about it, but Converse shoes are definitely a staple in youth culture. It's really weird that they used to be used as professional basketball shoes because I don't really think of them as particularly supportive, but that is just another way they are a huge part of our society. Also, it proves that trends repeat themselves over the years. You did a nice job of talking about this topic and kept the presentation interesting with commercial video clips. Even though I personally do not own a pair of "Chucks" I may consider it now after your presentation!
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I never knew that Converse had different styles- I thought it was just colors. So... your presentation was very imformative and now I know that there is a wide variety. I also see now that they are very relevant to the topic of youth culture. I have never had Converse shoes, but since your presentation I have noticed how many people wear them.
ReplyDeleteDear Heather,
ReplyDeleteI've never worn Chucks but I have always secretly been in awe of those who do. It was fascinating to listen to your presentation because you related something so simple as a brand of shoes to youth culture. You brought out points I never would have thought of. I liked that you began with the history of Converse and then followed it up by making connections that even I could follow. Fantastic job!
I love my co-o-onverse, oh yes I do... My chucky's are my favorite shoes and it was interesting to hear the history behind them. I am a life long wearer and will never stop. Thanks for devoting the time to them, especially in relation to teen culture. They are pretty important to us!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how long Converse had been around. The history of them is very interesting. I've never owned a pair and I can't say that I ever will but they're still cool. Your presentation was very good and original.
ReplyDeleteAt first I was like "huh??" I never ever would have thought to do my presentation on a brand of shoes. But then again, who would have thought a brand of shoes would become so engrained in youth culture? Your presentation was VERY interesting and definitely unique! I loved it! I bought my first pair of converse just a couple months ago, and haven't worn them much because they're kind of uncomfortable. I honestly have to say though that your presentation has made want to recommit myself to breaking them in :) great job!!
ReplyDeleteThis was such a unique and original topic. I'm quite jealous. Actually, when I was researching for my topic I came across an ad for Converse that featured James Dean, M.I.A., and Sid Vicious. I loved your commercial clips and was interested in your presentation from beginning to end.
ReplyDelete