Who makes the greatest all-time shoe on the planet? Converse vs. Vans?
What a question! This is Star Wars vs. Star Trek territory here ... and make no mistake about it - the devotion of Converse converts is matched inch for inch by the loyalty of Vans fans.
One is a world of unbroken lines of tradition shrouded in mythology; the other is an upstart - creative, disruptive and unpredictable.
One derives beauty from a rigid adherence to linear storylines, while the other jumps through time with a colorful disregard for continuance.
We're talking about the shoes of course.
If you're a hipster -- and go ahead, admit it - there's nothing worse than a non-self-aware hipster -- there's really no question: You're a Converse person. The latest iteration of the shoes that are likely on your feet right now go back to a company that has been in existence since 1908 (Converse has been a subsidiary of Nike since 2003, however.)
These are the shoes of Chuck Taylor. These were the shoes Wilt Chamberlain wore as he scored 100 points over the New York Knicks in 1962. (It is unknown what shoes he used when scoring later that evening.)
And then you have Vans: this chilled little hippy startup from 1966 that according to company lore, did not actually have any shoes to sell on the first day their store opened -- customers only saw display models and were reportedly told to return the next day to get the actual product. They came back the next day, and the next, and the next.
While Converse gives you an occasional special edition that deviates in stitching or perhaps even does something really crazy like make a shoe in red, Vans is Zen about change -- it lets things happen. But ebbs have flows. Vans did awesome throughout the 70s before going into bankruptcy in the mid 1980s and then pulling back into prominence as the new century got rolling.
But you can’t keep a good shoe down, and Vans is back, brighter and bolder than ever, while still keeping things real enough that they're allowed to spell old-school with a "K."
Over at Converse, this century-old powerhouse is quite content with the label "classic," and comfortable in their own skin to go ... well, not exactly crazy ... but let's just say not many would've thought the day would come when you could choose low top Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat Chucks!
Vans fans respect the brand for keeping that Southern California vibe in the DNA of its products, while the Converse cool kids see pure aesthetics and simplicity in a shoe that just doesn't need to change.
Luckily, no law says you can't have both. Why choose anything but choice?
You slide on a pair of Vans classic Beatles Yellow Submarine slip-ons for your Saturday date with "the DJ/sci-fi writer/retro-artist..."
... while lacing up your Chuck Taylor All-Star Gorilla Murdoc Hi-Tops for your Sunday date with "the DJ/graffiti enthusiast/punk poet". There, was that so hard?
