A Converse Canvas

Tricia Vuong
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

As you walk down Broadway in the Flatiron District you pass the Flatiron Plaza filled with bustling tourists scrambling to take photos on all sorts of devices, DSLR and iPhone cameras in the mix. In the midst of the crowd, about fifteen six- foot- tall displays stand, each showing a photo of a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors that have been marked up, studded, painted, or torn up in some way.

Converse launched its “Made By You” pop-up exhibit in the Flatiron Public Plaza on from March 2–7, 2015. The exhibit features shows over twenty sneakers, all that have been decorated and customized to each person, looking like works of art. The “artists” featured range from a girl in Tokyo to famous artist Andy Warhol and musician King Tuff to name a few. The campaign features the 98-year-old Chuck Taylor that has been highlighted through its customers’ creative spirit.

If looking at these customized Chucks wasn’t enough, the exhibit also allows visitors to take a virtual reality experience where they to step into the shoes or “Chucks” of several celebrities. When asked if I wanted to try the 360-degree video experience, I put on the cardboard goggles and was suddenly in a zombie apocalypse. I was in the shoes of actress Joanna DeLane. The goggles are part of the street exhibitions and are designed to encourage people to tell the backstory of their Chucks, or what it’s like to stand in their shoes. Scattered throughout the exhibit there are employees holding Google cardboard goggles and headphones. Each cardboard goggle is attached to an iPhone. The screen of the iPhone displays the image while the cardboard goggles allow the user to have a full 360-degree experience.

“Most people have owned a pair of Converse in their lives and this exhibit highlights how this one shoe can transform into different pieces of art highlighting each person’s individuality” stated an employee. She then proceeded to show me one of her favorite reinventions of the Chuck Taylor and lead me to the white Chucks redesigned in a Native American fashion. White high top chucks suddenly had feathers and beads hanging from the ankle of the shoe and brown fringe on top.

“It was cool to see this girl all the way from China transform these white high tops rather than just going out to buy moccasins or something.” The employee stated.

According to Converse, thousands of photos shared by Converse fans inspired the campaign’s concept. Most of these photos showed how each of them customize their sneakers. The campaign only lasted in the Flatiron district for one week but the company plans to take over window and other displays at retailers like Foot Locker, Nordstrom, and Journeys. Some locations will have portable portrait studios so customers and store associates can join in on the campaign. “Made By You” will continue over into the coming seasons and will be the majority of Converse’s media branding.

Photos by: Tricia Vuong
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