by: Anja Bauer Minkara, director & senior brand consultant
Nike bought Converse in 2003 and filled up Nike’s portfolio perfectly. All Stars are the lifestyle shoes, as opposed to the Just do it shoes, or shoes that make you move and attain personal athletic goals. Nike people were wise and didn’t touch the design of the famous All Stars or Chuck Taylors as they are called.
What’s the secret of a shoe that hasn’t changed since 1949?
They were first made as great basketball shoes endorsed by Chuck Taylor. They were popular in the 1970s by the baby boomers, they were perceived as rebellious, unconventional and very comfortable. The Ramones wore them, Kurt Cobain as well and now everyone wears them. My 2-year-old son, my 59-year-old aunt and I now wear Chuck Taylors or All Stars, just because they look good. Or maybe not, maybe it’s because we feel like we belong to a certain group of people. People, who are a bit rebellious, people who like the style but also the comfort.
Quite simply it’s a good match between looking good and feeling good. Looking good doesn’t need additional explanation, but everyone who wears them feels somehow special which doesn’t explain anything. The reason why could be because of the small Chuck Taylor signature or because Kurt Cobain wore them. It could also be because of the new fashion - the skinny jeans fashion. I don’t know why exactly but I feel like a part of the Chuck Taylor clan.
In their communication they go for passion, for a different or individualistic point of view. They focus on individuals and their professional life – mostly artistic and they convey their personal dreams, philosophies and their take on life.
But naturally people who wear them are not all artists, photographers, hip chefs but normal people who sit behind their desks and maybe dream of breaking out of the stuffy atmosphere and jumping into their world of passion. All Stars could be that push or that rebellious detail on the person that screams I am not what I seem to be.
The two examples show my ambiguity with the brand. The first is a trendy young girl who teaches you how to lace them and another is the communication done by a Polish advertising agency.
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