The IronDog Chronicles

Happy 100 to an American icon…Converse.

Yes, I’m still bitter that the Chuck is no longer produced in North Carolina, but how can you be sore at the company that has brought so many American icon to the floors and pavement?

Well, the Nike owned North Andover company is coming out with a full global ad campaign to celebrate its Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers and their connection to pop-culture icons in the worlds of sports, music, fashion and art since their introduction in 1917.

Check out the heads up here from Donna Goodison of the Boston Herald. The campaign entitled, “Connectivity” will launch in 75 countries this month and hit the United States later this year.

To celebrate, Converse is coming out with a Black Fives collection, which should be cool. However, will the young bucks pick-up on them?…I guess that’s another story.

My hope is that they celebrate the Chuck and the basketball shoes of the late ’60s and early ’70s. That’s when Converse was way ahead of the game. And to celebrate this one, I think I’m going to have to break out my Bob Cousy signed Chucks to commemorate this time.

They’re also coming out with another release of the Converse Pro Leathers from 1976 when Julius Erving moved his stars and stripes to Philadelphia. Both the Pro Team and the Weapon…are going to make a comeback. Major kudos…Especially on the Pro Team. Damn, I would love to get back ten to fifteen years and rock a pair of those in a Kenny Smith type of way.

For those of you sleeping on the Weapon, enjoy this one. Damn, Bernard King, Bird, McHale, and the bratty Midwest trio of Mark Aguirre, Isiah (when he was true to his Chicago roots) and Magic (Pre-Freeze Out…;) This ad is still one of the great ones of all-time.

Also, major kudos for bringing back the turf shoe. All of these chucklehead sneaker experts sleep on how big the turf shoe was in the ’80s. If you lived in a NFL town, you had the turf shoe…Yes, there are sneaker scenes outside of NYC.

Now, will they please bring back the suede one-stars in NBA style colors from ‘73? I’m dying for a pair of suede Norm Van Liers.

Ricky Sobers,

BD