Converse is an iconic brand of casual footwear, which was established in 1908 in the United States. The sneakers and shades of the label are being sold worldwide and loved by millions of people, including celebrities. Today the brand has over 100 stores all over America and thousands of sell points across the globe.
Meaning and history
Probably one of the most famous footwear brands in history, Converse boasts an instantly recognizable visual identity, which was first designed in 1963. The logo, created in the 1960s, has been reflected in every new version, celebrating the traditions and history of the company.
At the beginning of the company’s history, there was no constant logo, and the inscription in different styles was used for the first decades. In 1932 the brand started producing All-Star shoes, which became incredibly popular, so the company began adopting the Star symbol for its visual identity, until finally in 1962 the first official logo was created.
1963 — 1977
The logo from 1963 featured a “Converse” inscription in the lowercase, placed on the right of the simple black star emblem. It was a modest and minimalist, yet stylish logo, representing a strong modern company. The five-pointed star was also a symbol of excellence and high quality, while the wordmark in delicate letters evoked a sense of friendliness and playfulness, reflecting the character of the brand and its products.
1977 — 2003
The redesign of 1977 brought a new powerful image to the company’s visual identity. The White Star was now placed inside a black square with rounded angles. The emblem was placed above the bold wordmark in all capitals with the letter “N” in the lowercase.
The sans-serif typeface of the nameplate is very similar to Display Pump font with its thick modern lines and distinct edges.
In the same year, the company creates an additional logo, where the black star is placed on a white background without any framing. The wordmark on its left is written in the same style as in the main logo, but has a white star in the center of the letter “O”.
The logo stays with the company for more than 2 years and still can be seen on some of the vintage models of the brand’s shoes.
2003 — 2007
In 2003 the logo was redesigned again. The star symbol was now enclosed in a thick black circle, with a lot of white space inside. It looked fresh and light, yet powerful and solid.
The inscription still uses all capital letters, except for “N”, and was executed in a similar style as the one from the previous logo. The lettering was written in a modern and strong sans-serif typeface, which is very close to Zoria Bold font.
The additional logo featured an enlarged black star without any frames, and the wordmark under it, executed in a bolder typeface.
2007 — 2011
In 2007 the company starts using the version of the logo, which was designed in the early 1970s by Jim Labadini. It was a black star, placed near the chevron, pointing right. It was a symbol of progress and energy, which stayed with the brand for four years.
As for the wordmark, it was placed under the emblem and executed in the same style as the previous versions.
2011 — 2017
The additional logo from 1977 comes back to the company’s visual identity in 2011. The black wordmark with a white star, placed inside the letter “O” is now the main logo of the brand. The strong signature typeface and iconic star symbol — a combination, which is instantly recognizable all over the globe. This logo stayed with the brand for another six years and still can be seen on some models and printables.
2017 — Today
The redesign of 2017 is a mixture of the emblem from the 1970s and the wordmark from the 2010s. The star with a chevron is back to the Converse visual identity, while the iconic lettering was replaced by a completely new style.
The inscription is now written in all capitals of the sans-serif typeface, which is close to Typold Extended Black font. The letters have enough space between each other in order to create a sense of freshness and light.
The Converse logo is timeless and powerful in its simplicity and minimalism. It looks stylish and bright in any background, whether it is printed ads, fabric badges or simple monochrome tags.
Colors
The Converse logo boasts a simplistic design, which has proved to be effective in all aspects. The black color portrays excellence, elegance, and integrity. The white color stands for purity and charm.
Font
The company name is written in a sans-serif typerface.
What is the Converse symbol?
The iconic and instantly recognizable symbol of the Converse brand is a solid five-pointed star, which started to be placed on all the shoes of the brand in 1917 when the first pair of the All-Star line was introduced. Although, officially the star has become an inevitable part of the Converse visual identity at the beginning of the 1960s.
Why is the Converse logo on the outside?
In the original Converse shoes you can only find the logo on the inside, so if you see a pair with the Converse logo on the outside — it is a fake. The first pair with the Star emblem on the inside was introduced by the iconic brand in 1917, and since then the concept hadn’t changed.
Why does my Converse have a big logo?
Converse is a legendary brand, and so is its logo which elevated the look of the brand’s shoes, and makes them visible and recognizable. However, if the logo is Too big, or looks weird and not very accurate, you might have probably bought not an authentic pair, but a fake one.
Do Converse shoes have the logo on both sides?
No, the most interesting thing about the Converse brand, is that it only places the logo on the inside of its shoes. This started at the very beginning of the company’s history when the first pair of the All-Star sneakers were released in 1917. Since then the brand has been loyal to its concept, and always places the logo on the inside of a shoe.