Converse Controversy

Now maybe I've just have a bad Converse-related experience: the only Converse I've ever owned came from Schuh on Oxford Street in early 2006 (I remember it well), and they were black pinstripe. Major, major error – why on earth didn't I go for grey ones?! They would have been somewhat more 'chic', if you can say Converse are 'chic'. Maybe 'street'? And had they been grey they might have gone with at least one or two items already in my wardrobe.

The folly of this £35 purchase became apparent when they began to see the light of day about as frequently as Cheryl Cole invites Lily Allen round for a takeaway. I'd try every which way to match them up with other clothes and fail miserably. In the end the best use they saw was as default/ vaguely comfy/ non-slippy dark footwear to sport on stage in last year's Central Hall Musical. Following their five minutes of fame they earned me back £11 via a kind-hearted friend's eBay account. Only about a £20 loss there, then.

So since this episode I have held Chuck Taylor's patent shoe-of-dreams in somewhat low esteem. I mean, I'm not decrying people who wear them; plenty of my friends sport them, including one or two pairs with interesting, and dare I say it, unique designs. I just think that our feet deserve more opportunities.

I've spent a lot of time (well, a day on-and-off), trying to pinpoint the essential problem that I have with these shoes, and if I'm being honest, I haven't worked it out yet. I have even discussed the issue with those who revel in spending hours lacing all the way up past the ankle in a selfless endeavour to hear both sides of the story. My housemates share my sentiments, and yet still we're struggling. I want to avoid going all tabloid and throwing opinions around without any valid justification, and thus I have settled on 5 objective bullet points:

Reasons why I think Converse aren't actually that great:

• Everyone wears them. With regards to students at any rate. Where's the individuality?

• They let water in. Not least the absorbent canvas, but DAMN THOSE HOLES!

• They're cheap, but they're less than hard-wearing.

• If you have big feet they look like clown shoes. If you have small feet they make your feet look even smaller.

• They offer minimal support and are thus bad for your feet. (So says an old friend's physiotherapist anyway).

Reasons that Converse are that great, that people who wear Converse with pride attempt to give to subvert my argument:

• They're a simple, cool choice of footwear.

• They come in a plethora of different colours, shapes and designs: bright, happy, sad, emo, whatever.

• They're all-purpose. They fit in with a multitude of different 'looks', for example 'casual student', 'indie rocker', 'teeny bopper', 'chilled twenty-something', and they're something to wear with your sports kit if you're indulging in an activity with non-specific footwear requirements.

• If you have the right sized feet, they'll suit you.

• They're comfy.

So this leads me neatly onto a brief look into substitutes for the Converse-clad. Obviously there are a zillion other choices out there, but for a look that's similar to that provided by the Converse (as in, chilled, casual trainers, I'm so laid back I'm falling over) with a bit of campus-cool, the following may spark the imagination:

DC Pure II, £54.99, Schuh

DC Pure II

The skater shoe that you don't have to listen to Limp Bizkit to rock round Vanbrugh stalls in. These chunky DCs offer a stark contrast to slimline Converse. With the splash of purple your girlfriend would be proud (if she's being observing the recent rulings of Vogue anyway)

Adidas Top Ten Mustang Brown, £49.99, Office These versatile Adidas can be worn with almost anything – brown can be dressed up for night out but still maintain that sporty edge for the basketball court.

Canvas lace-up plimsoll (various colours), £25, Topman For your inner indie-boy, these shoes can be bought in all conceivable hues, though the options tend to err on the side of Topman's current 80s neon trend. Check out your nearest vintage shop for a cheaper alternative; Pop Boutique have near identicals at around the £15 mark.

All this leaves me to say is, maybe if i wasn't a size 7/8 and I hadn't bought pinstripe then I'd have had a better opinion of Converse in general, but still, I think for anybody who's in the market for some footwear there are plenty of other places to explore other than the long bewildering wall of Converse in Office.

Add Comment

You must log in to submit a comment.