July, 2024
Converse is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes and licenses footwear, apparel and accessories. Founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, it was acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003.
The brand focused on developing shoes with rubber soles for both children and adults. In 1915 the organization began to focus on athletic shoes and in 1918 the Converse All Star basketball shoe was first introduced.
In 1922, basketball player Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet, and Converse gave him a job as a salesman and ambassador. He promoted the shoes in the US and in 1932 Taylor's signature was added to the All-Star patch on the high-top sneakers.
Like many young companies in the twentieth century, the Converse brand had been without a consistent logo or visual identity for some time. Different styles of the inscription were used for different shoes, without specifically associating the products with the manufacturer.
Officially, the beginning of the Converse logo's history began in 1932, when the brand began producing All Star shoes with the five-pointed star shape attached to them. However, a real company logo was not designed until 1963.
The original Converse logo featured a simple, sans-serif inscription next to a five-pointed star in black. The design was placed on a pale background to allow for better contrast. The emblem was relatively minimalist, but a stylish and modern choice for the company at the time.
The five-pointed star was also a well-known symbol of quality. The lowercase letters in the wordmark used for the logo also helped to emphasize the friendly and playful nature of the company.
In 2017, Converse began using its chevron and star motif as a standalone logo for many of its brand assets.
In addition to this standalone emblem, Converse has also introduced a variant with an accompanying wordmark, finally updating the lowercase "n" to an uppercase alternative. The overall design looks beautifully balanced and modern.
In addition to the various logos, you may be familiar with some other examples of the Converse symbol appearing on certain products within the company's portfolio. The most common alternative Converse logo is the All Star logo, also known as the Chuck Taylor logo.