Category — Converse Shoes

Converse Product Red is an initiative that was launched in 2010, aimed at raising money and awareness about AIDS in Africa. Converse is a part of the larger Red Project, which was co-founded by U2 frontman Bono, and works towards eliminating AIDS in Africa. The goal of Red is to have zero babies born with AIDS by the year 2015. Since it’s launch in 2006, the project has raised over $170 million, which goes directly to helping those affected by AIDS in Africa.

Other Product Red participants include Nike, American Express, Starbucks and Gap. Each company creates a product with the Project RED logo, and a percentage of the profits is given to the Product RED campaign (up to 50%).

The nice thing about Converse Product Red shoes is that you can customize them. You pick the sneaker style you want, and can personalize the “MAKE MINE (RED)” logo. Check them out!

Soulja Boy was recently in the news when he supposedly spent $55 million on a private jet. This proved to be false, but one piece of news that is true: he did just sign a $1.8 million deal with Converse.

If you aren’t familiar with Soulja Boy, he’s the young rapper who is best known for his catchy song “Crank That (Soulja Boy)”. The new Soulja Boy Chuck Taylor will be hitting the stores this winter. You may have seen the Converse ads featuring Soulja Boy and indie pop duo Matt and Kim doing a track called “I’m a Goner” (the music video aired on MTV2 earlier this week). The branding in the Converse ads is very minimal, with a Converse credit only appearing after the video ends.

Converse has done a few of these Three Artists, One Song campaigns. Other recent collaborations for the initiative include Hot City, Graham Coxon and Bill Ryder-Jones.

So far, that’s all we know about the Soulja Boy Chuck Taylor’s! Watch for them later this winter and check out the Converse ad here.

There are so many different shades of purple to choose from when it comes to fall fashions. There’s eggplant, grape, lavender, mauve…and many more. Along with subtle black, brown and gray tones, rich colours such as gold, purple and burgundy have always been in style for fall.

This year we’re seeing a number of designers using purple in their ready-to-wear collections. Popular design houses such as LC Lauren Conrad, Free People and H&M have used purple as a focal point in everything from handbags to blouses.

Shoe designers are no different – both Converse and Vans have released new fall 2011 looks that feature – you guessed it – purple. New from Vans this season: the Zapato Lo Pro Sweet Grape shoe. The Vans Zapato is a sneaker/boat shoe hybrid with white outsole that is perfectly matched with jeans or khakis. Check out the purple Vans Zapato. You can also read our earlier blog post devoted to the Zapato here.

From Converse, there’s the Spec Grape Wine Hi Top, and it’s not called “Grape Wine” just for its fruity purple shade. These unique purple Converse hi tops are made from grapewine vintage materials. Check out the purple Converse Spec Grape Wine Hi Top.

So, if you want to look grape for fall (sorry, we couldn’t resist!) consider coordinating your favourite fall pieces with complementary purple Vans and Converse shoes.

There are few things cuter than seeing a baby’s tiny toes in a pair of miniature sneakers. Converse baby shoes have been adorning the feet of hip babies everywhere for years, and have become a go-to gift for new parents-to-be. Every year, Converse releases a bunch of new styles, and that includes their pint-size versions!

Infant Converse shoes are ideal for small feet as they cushion and support, with a soft lining and quilted outsole. Here are two new styles of Converse baby shoes for fall 2011:

The Chuck Taylor Infant Hi Top: You’ve likely seen baby Converse shoes in sweet solid colours like blue and pink. However, this year Converse has added prints to the mix. Look for infant Converse shoes in a lively yellow and orange duck design and other cute animal patterns such as bunnies.

The Chuck Taylor Toddler Velcro Shoe: This one is a blast from the past that’s making a comeback for fall in darker colours such as black and grey. If you’re a parent of a toddler, you know how frustrating it can be to tie and re-tie your child’s sneakers. Converse takes the hassle out of kids’ shoes with the Chuck Taylor toddler shoe with velcro – easy and stylish!

One of the most iconic Converse shoes – the One Star – is back for Fall 2011! We haven’t seen Converse One Stars for awhile now, but it’s the most unique, updated version yet on the loose this September. Converse has had a huge influence music, sports, arts, culture and fashion for over 100 years, and it shows in each and every line they release, including the new and improved One Star.

For the ladies: The women’s Converse One Star shoe features a number of feminine details, such as latticework, pintucks and ruffles. For the guys: The men’s line of Converse One Star shoes are more rugged, with motocross styles, western detailing, and layered plaids rounding out the collection.

We’re also seeing a line of denim Converse One Star shoes for guys and girls. There are a number of denim Converse One Star options, including a selvage denim option with a red thread running down the side that will go great with jeans or khakis.

Also with a release date for fall 2011: the Converse One Star Seeker, a One Star chukka mid top sneaker that comes іn two classic suede colorways: rich brown and light beige.

Check out photos of the Converse One Star collection for fall here. Oh, and check out the Zelen Shoes selection of Converse shoes!

We’ve told you about a number of rock and roll Converse musical collaborations in the past. Converse has always had a huge appeal among rockers and fans for their edgy-yet-laid-back style. While we’ve shown you Converse from bands such as The Who, Metallica and The Grateful Dead, here a pair we haven’t shared much about: Kurt Cobain Converse.

The Kurt Cobain Converse shoes were produced as part of Converse’s 100th anniversary sales campaign, called “Welcome to the Converse Century.” The Kurt Cobain Converse shoes are unique in that they are covered in drawings and writing that was published in Kurt Cobain’s journals. Of course, the Kurt Cobain Converse are also distressed – the true way that Kurt wore them many times on stage. The final touch: Kurt’s signature on the upper.

There are several new releases of the Kurt Cobain Converse shoe, including a Converse One Star model and a series of high-top Chucks.

I wonder what Kurt Cobain would think of these limited-edition Converse shoes? Apparently, the product line comes with the full cooperation of Courtney Love and the Estate of Kurt Cobain.

Converse has been a coveted brand since the early 1900s (how many shoe brands can say that?), and has remained a go-to style for guys and girls over the years. Part of the reason that Converse stays so popular is that they create durable, affordable footwear, and while they modernize their brand all the time, they always stay true to their classics, reworking original shoes such as the Chuck Taylor and the Jack Purcell.

Converse’s has just given glimpses of their upcoming FW11 Collection, and there are a number of very cool looks for the guys. Like we just mentioned in a previous blog post, leather Converse shoes are going to be big this fall/winter. Some of the highlights of Converse’s FW11 men’s collection:

• Licensed Converse DC Comics shoes (I expect these will be huge with comic fans and even non-comic fans!)
• Double-zip leather sneakers
• Converse desert boots (you don’t see many of these so this is pretty exciting)

This year Converse is also releasing a line of great bags and accessories – check out the belt with a hidden bottle opener behind the buckle! See photos of he Converse Fall 2011 collection here.

Leather Converse shoes have become incredibly popular in the past few years, and we’re seeing a bunch more the scene this fall. There are a couple of new styles of leather Chuck Taylor’s – choose these classics in low or high-top styles.

Next up are the Converse Pro Leather Mid shoes. The Converse Pro Leather Mid shoe was made famous by some of the greatest NBA players out there. While some things haven’t changed since 1976, such as the classic colourways, the shoes are much more lightweight than they were in the earlier days. The Converse Pro Leather Mid shoes are available in three colourways: charcoal/maroon, dark green/black and black/off white.

Finally, there is a sweet line of limited edition leather Converse shoes, for those who are willing to spend a little more for stylish footwear. The leather John Varvatos feature handmade leather uppers, interior leather laces, a chevron stripe and rubber sole.

Check out photos of these new styles of leather Converse shoes here and here.

Converse has long been a brand associated with rock stars and fledgling musicians. In the past, Converse shoes have been adorned with Blondie, The Ramones, The Clash, and many more. It’s fitting, then, that Converse has just announced that they will be opening a recording studio in Brooklyn, called Converse Rubber Tracks.

The Converse recording studio sounds like a musician’s dream: you get to record for free but keep all the rights to your jams. Or, if you want, you can lend Converse the rights to your music so you can easily record it online. Converse has stated that they want to provide aspiring musicians with recording time and a professional engineering staff after being accepted through an online application process.

“One of our goals as a brand is to give back and help inspire a new generation of musicians,” said Geoff Cottrill, chief marketing officer of Converse, in a statement.

If you do play in the Converse recording studio, you may be the subject of a short Web documentary that will be documenting clips. You may also be in content on the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Seems like a fair trade, no?

Havaianas are the most popular flip-flops in the world, and now they’re bringing Brazilian style to California. Havaianas flip-flops became ultra-popular internationally for their comfortable rubber footbed and straps, and their durability – buy a pair of Havaianas, and you’ve got sandals for years.

It’s just been announced that Havaianas is going to launch the first-ever pop-up shop in California! Pop-up shops have been appearing in many cities across North America – basically, rather than renting out a prime spot and paying a hefty monthly fee, many businesses are taking advantage of these limited-time rentals where they can sell their stuff.

The new Havaianas space is situated in the 1000-square-foot Urban Outfitters rotating designer concept boutique (1520 North Cahuenga Boulevard). It’s decorated as a traditional Brazilian marketplace and sells the largest assortment of Havaianas in Los Angeles. Also available at the Havaianas pop-up shop: a unique graffiti collection and the new “Soul Collection” line.

“Los Angeles is the perfect city for Havaianas and through this partnership with our friends at Urban Outfitter’s, this Pop-Up shop is a stunning way of bringing a slice of Brazil’s vibrant culture to West Hollywood, “said Afonso Sugiyama, president of Havaianas USA.

If you’re looking for a great assortment of Havaianas flip-flops, you can always shop ZelenShoes.com for the lowest prices and free shipping in Canada!