Converse in the NBA Playoffs

If you've been following this blog you'll know that Converse increased their roster of the NBA players this year. While the roster might not seem that exciting to the casual basketball fan, what is exciting is that the roster actually grew. With at least 13 different players wearing Converse at some point this season it was one of the largest rosters the company has had in quite a number of years. Previous to Converse filing chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2001 there were around 22 NBA players.


Assuming there is an NBA season next year I would hope if nothing else this roster would increase in size, and hopefully talent and notoriety. Only time will tell, until then we have a few Converse players to watch out for in the Playoffs.


Check out Elton Brand, Louis Williams, Kirk Hinrich, Chris Andersen, Kyle Korver, and J. J. Barea.  Carlos Arroyo and Udonis Haslem are both listed as inactive.  

Pics from Gettyimages, Yahoo, and ESPN

Thanks for checking out the blog and remember to follow along on twitter @TheConverseBlog and on Facebook too.

Playoff Frustration: PEAK makes Fake Converse.

Ever since round 2 of the playoffs started I've been really frustrated by a specific situation.  It bothers me that a company that makes fake Converse shoes has more players left in the playoffs than Converse does.  I am talking about the Chinese brand PEAK.  The shoe of choice for Jason Kidd, Ron Artest, Shane Battier, and according to their website and his Sasha Vujacic.  Sasha has been wearing the Kobe IV recently so I am not sure what's going on there.  If you include Darnell Jackson from Cleveland and Sonny Weems from Denever that brings the PEAK total up ot 6.  That's 6 NBA players in the second round of the playoffs compared to Maurice Evans and Acie Law for Converse. Why does this particular situation frustrate me so much?  It's simple really, PEAK makes Fake Converse shoes. Below are pictures of PEAK made fake Converse Wade 3.0, 2.0, and Converse 099.  So right now in the playoffs there are 3 times as many players wearing a brand that makes fake Converse compared to players that actually wear Converse. 

 

  

  

  

  

  

 

They also make Fake Adidas and Reebok shoes too.

This post is about the fact that a brand that makes fake shoes can get play in the NBA. It just so happens that they have more players in the 2nd round of the playoffs than Converse does.  Converse still has more endorsers in the NBA than PEAK, although the gap is cloesing.  It's not all about quanity though, often times it has more to do with quality and I'd take Dwyane Wade, Elton Brand, or Jameer Nelson over anyone wearing PEAK right now.  I firmly believe that with a new cushioning technology and the Weapon EVO coming next season that Converse will increase the quanity and quality of endorers that they have.

Don't forget to vote on the new poll and thanks for checking out the Converse Blog.

'S Friday Flashback: Converse Maverick

This might be my most anticipated Friday in a really long time.  This past week I subbed for a teacher until today, which was great because it was four days of work.  However, it just happened to be state testing week, which means it was completely crazy and unpredictable.  I loved nearly ever minute of it, because the days went really fast and it was great experience for me.

Anyway, on to blog stuff.  I am really close to posting up a new poll, I really think this one could get interesting but we'll have to see.  Also some of you have found blog on Twitter, but for those you that haven't here is the link @TheConverseBlog.

Now onto today's post, the Converse Maverick.

This basketball shoe from the 80's is jam packed with all kinds of goodies, ankle strap, double ankle padding, inner mid-foot strap, and even a Y-bar.  Also you've got vertical branding with Converse written down the side of the shoe on the Y-bar.   

 

  

  

  

  

 

  

 

  

  

  

 

A few years ago they re-issued the Maverick, but without the inner booty strap.  Oh well, I am comtimplating a post for tomorrow, but I am not sure yet...so check back and vote in new poll when it goes up.

Enjoy the NBA playoffs tonight, I an so excited that I finally get to stay up and watch a Lakers/Rockets game!

Converse One Stars from accross the pond. Dwyane Wade 3rd place in MVP.

If you love Converse, or even casual enjoy their offerings from time to time, you probably had (have) an opinion of them teaming up with Target for the One Star line.  I know that I had my reservations at first, but I've grown to appreciate the collaboration.  As I documented on here before though, we still haven't seen a true one star shoe sold at Target.  That's cool, actually I am sure some people are pleased that this hasn't happened.  And for what it's worth you can find a shoe very similar to the One Star on ConverseOne. Sometimes I wonder what would be happening to the One Star shoe if there wasn't a collaboration between Target and Converse.  Well wonder no more, today's post is for the Converse One Star Lo Pro. 

 

But you won't find these state side, you can find these over in England. I really like the low profile of the shoe though, sooooo too bad we can't get them here, but I get these pics from Shoe-Shop, check em out.  

It was nice to see that Dwyane Wade got 7 first place votes, which was good enough for 2nd...but it's a complete joke that he ended up finishing 3rd overall.  That's it for today, thanks for checking out the blog. 

Acie Law's shoe of Choice: Converse Attack, plus the Converse Blog on Twitter

I am guessing that you've all had time to read over the Charles Charles MaGalls interview a couple of times by now.  I never intended to skip so many posts, alas I did and here we are a week later.  But I've got good news, you can now follow The Converse Blog on Twitter, aka I gave into the trend, you can find it here.

I noticed that towards the end of game 3 in the Heat/Hawks series that Acie Law got some burn.  He missed a good number of games towards the end of the season with back spasms.  But when he did take the floor in game 3 he did it in the shoe that he's been wearing almost all season, the Converse Attack.  This was a shoe that came out last year in a mid and ox version.  Acie has been playing in the ox version, which if you're keeping count that's 2 Converse players that have worn low-cut shoes this post season.  Kirk Hinrich has been wearing the Weapon EVO ox.    

 

  

 

 This is a pretty straight forward shoe, but I think it's less is more approach pays off.  Too bad, I think this was a Champs excluisve last year, because that's that only place I've ever seen them.  I am looking for an idea for a new poll so sent them my way!  Thanks for checking out the blog.   
 

LeBron James in Converse!

I didn't get around to doing a Friday Flashback post yesterday.  By the time I got home from school I was having a busting headache that I needed to stop so that I could enjoy the Alan Jackson concert I was going to later.  With a heavy dose of meds and some head-on I was able to enjoy the concert without much discomfort, except from the lady that kept screaming as loud as she could right next to me.   Needless to say, I was taking it easy after a long day of dealing with 5th graders.

You know else was taking it easy the other day?  Yes you do, you clicked on this page and saw the title of today's post.  LeBron James was taking it easy and for the first time ever I actually enjoyed seeing him on TV.  Why?  Well it is because for the first time he wore Converse while on an NBA court, a pair of Chucks.  By doing so LeBron added himself to an impressive list of NBA players seen wearing Converse off the court.  This list includes, but is not limited to, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Danny Granger, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose.

 

 

  

  

I tried to make the pictures bigger, but I couldn't make it happen without them getting more blurry.  Oh well enjoy the Playoffs this weekend, I really want the Bulls, Pistons, Spurs, Blazers, Magic, Heat, Jazz, and Hornets to advance, good thing those aren't actually my predictions.

Converse Wade 1 Reissued!

Five-time NBA All-Star and 2006 NBA Finals MVP Dwyane Wade is currently having the best regular season of his career and is in consideration to receive his first-ever season NBA MVP award. The Miami HEAT Guard is currently leading the league in scoring (30.2 ppg), and registers in the top ten in assists (8^th – 7.5 apg) and steals (2^nd – 2.19 spg). He will also become the first player in NBA history to have 500 assists, 100 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season (NOTE: The NBA officially began to keep track of steals and blocks in the 1973-74 season).


To celebrate this historic season, Converse will reissue a limited amount of the WADE 1. The WADE 1 was first launched before the 2005-06 NBA season and was the first-ever signature shoe for Dwyane Wade. He wore the shoe during a breakout NBA season where he led the Miami HEAT to their first-ever NBA championship and recorded the third highest scoring average in the NBA Finals with 34.7 points per game.


The WADE 1 features “.08” displayed on the inner heel to reflect two game-winning shots in his first two NBA season seasons.  His number “3” is shown on the shoelace eyelets and his name appears on the back and top of the shoe.  Functionally, the shoe enables Wade to play at the top of his game with a Foot Strike Management System, internal sock liner and heel stabilizers.


The WADE 1 will be available on Friday, April 10, exclusively at Champs Sports for MSRP $90. It will be available in the original, black/white/red on-court colorway. Champs Sports will support the launch with point-of-sale displays at locations across the country.

 

  

  

 If you missed these the first time around now is your chance you grab up a pair or two. As of a few minutes ago these aren't up at Champs Sports website yet.  Happy Hunting!