The iconic Chuck Taylor canvas shoes from Converse are getting a redesign after 98 years of remaining unchanged. The main priority for this redesign is comfort. Because call them what you will: basketball shoe, rebellious teen uniform, cultural icon, Chuck Taylors have never been known for their comfort factor so far.
On its website, Converse, which was bought by Nike in 2003, said it was responding to demands from customers by releasing the Chuck Taylor II.
“It all started with a simple idea: obsession,” it said. “We obsessed creative spirits and realized they wanted more. A sneaker that meets the demands of their ‘on the go’ lifestyle.”
“The Chuck is nearly 100 years old, and for the most part, it’s basically the same sneaker that it’s always been,” Geoff Cottrill, Converse’s VP and general manager of brand and segments, told Adweek. “We’ve been spending a lot of time in the last two, three, four years with consumers, asking them, “What do they need from us, what do they want?”
Specifically, Converse queried fans what features would get them to wear Chucks “24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” says Cottrill.
The original Chuck Taylor design has not been modified since 1917, and though the shoe has been widely popular among everyone from basketball stars to punk rockers, it doesn’t exactly leave the wearer walking on clouds.
The new Chuck Taylor II shoes utilize Nike’s Lunarlon sockliner for maximum arch support and comfort. It also features a padded collar, a non-slip gusseted tongue, and a perforated microsuede liner. The shoe style itself remains the same, with the signature All Star logo.
Converse is also quick to point out that the traditional, and cheaper, Chuck Taylors aren’t going away, but the redesign represents a risky bet by a brand that made its name by being unchanging. Die-hard fans have balked at even minor tweaks to the original, and observers say Chuck Taylor purists are likely to scoff at an overhauled shoe. The company is also dipping its feet back into the competitive athletic shoe business that has swelled since Converse reigned supreme.
The #ChuckII is here. Are you ready for more? https://t.co/bNmuTU4c0V
— Converse (@Converse) July 23, 2015
In a statement, Converse chief executive Jim Calhoun called the release a “ground-breaking moment” for the company, saying it was “ushering in not just a new sneaker, but a completely new way of thinking.”
The new Chuck Taylor IIs – which come in the traditional hi-top and low-top versions – and red, white, blue and black colour options, will hit store shelves on July 28. High-tops will run for $75 and it’ll cost you $70 for a low-cut pair.
