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Converse was made

Jan 1, 1935

Jack Purcell a world famous badminton and tennis player, designed a durable performance court shoe with a rubber "Smile" in the middle of the toe. The shoe became known as the Converse Jack Purcell.

converse was used in basketball

Jan 1, 1936

Basketball is played as an official Olympic sport for the first time. The U.S. team in Converse All Star shoes defeated Canada 19-8 to win the gold medal.

coverse uprising in basketball

Jan 1, 1939

The fist NCAA championship basketball tournament was held. Both teams wore Converse All Stars.

COLORFUL!

Jan 1, 1941

in 1941 after the war converse was put under pressure to release new colors by basketball teams. there were serveral new colors released that year.

switching to production

Jun 9, 1941

america enters world war II.Converse switches production to making footwear, apparel, boots, parkas, rubber protective suits, and ponchos for pilots and troops.

new styles

Jan 1, 1962

Converse releases a low-cut version of the popular All Star called the Converse All Star Oxford. The oxford soon made a relaxed, "west-coast" lifestyle statement and quickly became the shoe of choice for pro players.

more colors

Jan 1, 1966

Converse adds seven new colors to the All Star line to coordinate with team uniforms.

not just for basketball

Jun 16, 1974

Converse introduced the "One Star," a low-cut performance shoe for basketball that was later adopted by surfers and skaters a statement for their alternative lifestyle.

now were getting somewhere!

Jun 16, 1984

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.

Spiffy!

Jun 16, 1985

Converse's biomechanics investment paid off when the lab delivered the industry's first high-tech midsole cushioning systems.

REACT

Jun 16, 1992

Converse introduced the state-of-the-art REACT custom-fit technology, increasing basketball shoe cushioning, stability, and support.