Chen Qiang held a pair of sneakers in his hand and played with them thoughtfully.

This is a pair of Converse's Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers, which is one of Converse's three classic series of all-star classic canvas shoes. This shoe is known as the ancestor of sneakers, and is even considered by many to be a spiritual symbol of American culture. Even a hundred years later, this shoe is still the choice of many hipsters.

Converse released the sneaker in 1917, and it is unknown who designed the sneaker, but what can be traced back to the fact that the shoe was first produced in a shoe factory in Massachusetts, because Converse was founded in Malden, Massachusetts.

Founded in 1908, Converse initially only followed the trend to produce various footwear, and did not have its own research and development capabilities, until 1916, when the American Rubber Company launched a rubber-soled shoe, which gave Converse a huge inspiration, so they launched the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers in 1917.

At the beginning of the launch of this shoe, it was not so hot, at that time there was a basketball player in the United States, named Chuck Taylor, who was also a basketball promoter and sneaker promoter, and he proposed a lot of improvements to this shoe, which made this shoe gradually popular. In the forties, not only basketball players, but also American soldiers loved this comfortable sneaker. It is precisely because of Chuck Taylor's promotion of this sneaker that this sneaker is named after him.

By the fifties, Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers had become the standard for basketball players, whether they were high school players, college players, or professional basketball players, the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers were used nine times out of ten. Until the sixties, Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers accounted for 70% of the basketball shoe market in the United States.

It was also thanks to the popularity of the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers that Converse was the number one sports brand in the United States until the seventies. In the seventies, he was kicked off the altar by Adidas.

Now if Chen Qiang wants to gain a place in the field of sneakers, he must face Converse, and he must face Converse's most classic Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers.

After many fine-tuning in the 20th and 30th centuries, by the 40s, the flat rubber sole, half-moon toe, comfortable canvas, and simple style have become the most distinctive features of this shoe.

The Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneaker was not available in color until 1971, so in the forties, the shoe was only available in monochrome versions, either with black uppers and black soles, or with white uppers and white soles, of which black was also available in leather uppers. In addition, at the Olympics, the shoe will be introduced with extra width, with the addition of blue and red accents.

Chen Qiang held the white one in his hand, and at this time he couldn't help but complain: "This color looks so rustic!" ”

The most familiar color of the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers should be the black upper, white sole, the toe part has a white arc, which is integrated with the color of the sole, and the position of the upper is the big five-pointed star logo of Converse. Although this is also a design from the sixties and seventies, even in 2019, it is not far behind.

But the 1944 Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers, both in style and color, were too rustic.

"The staple of the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneaker, which has been popular for 100 years, is not an easy task to break down." Chen Qiang said to himself.

In later generations, many people commented that Converse is a brand that only sells "feelings", and this also shows from the side that Converse really has "feelings" to sell. In the seventies, Converse could sell vintage models from the forties; In the 21st century, Converse began to sell retro models from the 70s again, that is, Converse can have this ability to cut leeks, and Nike and Adidas can't sell such a long-standing "feeling".

And the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers are Converse's most "emotional" pair of shoes, Chen Qiang wants to challenge Converse, and it is obviously unwise to go head-to-head with Converse's best shoes from the beginning.

So Chen Qiang's first choice is not high-top sneakers like the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR.

Chen Qiang put down the Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers and picked up another shoe, which is a low-top shoe, the upper is pure white canvas, it looks like it has been specially bleached, and the sole is also a white rubber sole, but the whole sole is flat and has no grooves at all.

THIS IS ANOTHER JACK PURCELL SNEAKER FROM CONVERSE, WHICH IS CALLED "OPEN SMILE" BY CHINESE SHOE LOVERS. The name "Smile" is due to the fact that the shoes have a cocked toe and are decorated with a black horizontal stripe, which looks like a smiling face and a beard on a man's lips when he smiles.

JACK PURCELL is actually the name of Canadian badminton player Jack Passel, in 1935, he improved one of Converse's sneakers, adding a patch at the heel to make the shoe better support, and using a flat sole without grooves, it can easily tear clay and grass, and it is easier to move when playing badminton. It is because of Jack Passel's alteration of this sneaker that this sneaker is named JACK PURCELL.

In the future, Converse's three classic sneakers are Chuck Taytor ALL STAR canvas shoes, JACK PURCELL sneakers and CONS skate shoes, and Converse's "feelings" mainly come from these three series. HOWEVER, IN 1944, THE JACK PURCELL SNEAKERS WERE MAINLY USED AS BADMINTON SHOES AND TENNIS STRINGS.

The JACK PURCELL is a low-top shoe, which is more practical than a high-top shoe, and it is said that this sneaker can adapt to various sports, and can become the most popular sports shoe for ordinary people. But Converse in the forties apparently didn't recognize this and just marketed the shoe as a badminton shoe and tennis string.

During World War II, Converse also received a large number of orders from the U.S. military to produce munitions for the U.S. military, including boots, head coverings, foot pads, and so on. It wasn't until after the end of World War II that Converse began to focus on the sneaker market again, and with several classic sneakers, it became the number one sports brand in the United States.

If Chen Qiang wants to break out of the world in sneakers, now is the best time, after all, Converse is busy supplying the military and ignoring the huge sneaker market, which also gives Chen Qiang an opportunity. If the war is over and Converse's focus returns to sneakers, it will be much more difficult for Chen Qiang to snatch food from Converse.

Chen Qiang continued to play with the pair of JACK PURCELL in his hand and smiled, and made a decision in his heart, Nike's first sneaker, this kind of low-top sneaker, and it should be suitable for multiple sports, not only limited to tennis and badminton. THE FIRST THING CHEN QIANG WANTED TO DEFEAT WAS CONVERSE'S JACK PURCELL'S SMILE!

Thinking of this, Chen Qiang picked up the pen and drew on the paper.

It's a pity that Chen Qiang doesn't have any art skills, and he can't draw sketches of sneakers for a long time.

So Chen Qiang had to find a designer in the company, Chen Qiang used the description, and the designer drew according to Chen Qiang's description.

According to Chen Qiang's description, the designer drew a very simple pair of sneakers. IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE CONVERSE'S JACK PURCELL, BUT THE TOE IS NOT COCKED, AND THE POSITION OF THE COLLAR IS RELATIVELY FLAT.

"Mr. Chen, do you look like this?" The designer asked.

"Almost!" Chen Qiang nodded, and then asked, "What do you think of these shoes?" ”

"It's hard to say." The designer replied that he probably had some concerns about the identity of Chen Qiang's boss, so he didn't dare to tell the truth, so he could only be sloppy.

"It's okay, don't have any scruples, just say what you really think, you are a professional designer, I want your opinion." Chen Qiang said.

Chen Qiang said so, the designer couldn't refuse, he had to say honestly: "I think these shoes give me the feeling of ordinary, just like mashed potatoes made by my mother, which can make me full, but they are the most ordinary food." ”

Chen Qiang nodded, this designer's opinion is very correct, this is indeed a very ordinary pair of sneakers.

The style that Chen Qiang came up with is the Cordis ROYAL sneakers.

Chinese may not be familiar with the brand Cordis, but the Japanese should be familiar with Cordis, which was once popular in Japan in the eighties and nineties, and its popularity in Japan once surpassed that of Nike and Adidas.

Cordis is also a sports brand with a history of more than 100 years, and even today, Cordis still has a presence in the American market, especially Cordiz's casual shoes, which are very focused on taste and comfort.

The Cordis Royal sneakers were launched in 1949, this shoe style is very ordinary, but it has many advantages, such as cheap price, canvas upper is very comfortable, rubber sole is very wear-resistant, etc., so after the launch of this shoe, it was immediately popular.

In the fifties, Converse's Chuck Taytor ALL STAR sneakers almost became the standard for basketball players, while other basketball players who did not wear Chuck Taytor ALL STAR wore Cordiffus ROYAL sneakers, such as the famous George McCann, who wore Cordiffus ROYAL sneakers.

It can be said that in the 50s, the Cordis Royal sneakers were the only sneakers that could compete with the Converse.

Cordis ROYAL is a very ordinary and simple pair of sneakers, without the slightest bells and whistles, but many times, ordinary and simple, exactly what customers like. For example, the old Beijing cloth shoes, which look very rustic, the color is not bright, the style is old-fashioned, the only advantage is that it is comfortable to wear, but it is this advantage that makes the old Beijing cloth shoes live in the fierce competition to the present.

"I COPIED THE CORDIS ROYAL SNEAKERS, AND I SHOULD BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH CONVERSE'S JACK PURCELL, THE CORDIS ROYAL IS EASIER TO PROCESS AND CHEAPER TO MANUFACTURE, AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS MAKE THE CORDIS ROYAL CHEAP ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ADVANTAGE WHEN COMPETING WITH CONVERSE JACK PURCELL."

Chen Qiang looked at the drawing, then picked up the pen and wrote a line on it: Nike No. 1.

Chen Qiang copied the style of the Cordis ROYAL sneakers, but he couldn't even copy the name together, so Chen Qiang didn't plan to call this copied sneaker ROYAL, but re-named it with a very memorable name, Nike No. 1, because this will be the first sneaker produced by Nike.

However, Chen Qiang also knows that this Nike No. 1 alone can at most get a share of the U.S. sneaker market, and Nike No. 1 is a very ordinary sneaker after all. If Nike wants to really fight Converse, it also needs a work that is amazing enough.

At this time, Chen Qiang recalled a super classic basketball shoe in his memory, that is, Adidas' Superstar!

Adidas' Superstar came out in 1969, and this shoe should be regarded as the first real basketball shoe in history, and Adidas also surpassed Converse and became a sports brand with this basketball shoe. In the '70s, three-quarters of the stars on the American professional basketball court made the Adidas Superstar their preferred shoe. It can be said that the one who really beat the Converse Chuck Taytor ALL STAR is none other than Adidas' Superstar.

In the future, Adidas' Superstar has already spawned a collection, and after continuous improvement and development, Superstar has gradually become a fashion trend shoe across fashion, music, street culture, leisure and sports.

With a white upper, a white sole, a black high-top, and three iconic black bars on the side, this is the most original Adidas Superstar.

But what most people don't know is that the reason why Adidas was able to beat Converse with Superstar was not because of how good-looking the shoes were, but because they contained a lot of "black technology" at the time.

The upper of the Adidas Superstar is pure leather, but the toe cap is rubber, which allows the shoe to carry more gravity.

The tongue is also made of leather, but the padding inside is foam padding, which relieves the pressure of the shoe.

The black upper is actually soft, which will give the user more protection and make the shoe more secure.

The lines on the soles of the feet are very deep, giving the player more grip.

On top of that, the heel adds a built-in nylon stabilizer that allows players to land without spraining their ankles.

This series of designs made the Adidas Superstar quickly occupy the market after its launch in 1969, and the sneakers of other sports brands were even more eclipsed in front of it. Subsequently, Adidas launched the Jabbar series and the MODEL series on the basis of Superstar, which were also very successful. It wasn't until Nike's greatest Air Force 1 came out that it beat Adidas.

It can be said that Adidas' Superstar is a truly stunning sneaker, and if Chen Qiang wants to take out Converse, Superstar is definitely the first choice. After all, Converse in history was also beaten down by this shoe.

However, Adidas Superstar is a basketball shoe in the real sense, which contains a lot of "black technology" of that era, which needs to be done to do technical research, materials, production processes, all need a little bit of research, this is not something that Chen Qiang can solve by copying a random appearance.

"Push Nike No. 1 to the market first, and as for the technology in Superstar, we have to start research and development from now on, and strive to launch Superstar's sneakers on the market after the end of World War II, so that we can seize the market with Converse's Chuck Taytor ALL STAR." Chen Qiang couldn't help but sigh, at this time Chen Qiang suddenly found that he underestimated the difficulty of making shoes, although Chen Qiang had a lot of classic sneakers in his mind, but many things could not be solved by plagiarism.

It definitely takes money to do R&D, and now that the sneakers have not been made, Chen Qiang has not earned a penny, so he has to smash a large amount of R&D funds first!

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At the beginning of the month, I asked for a guaranteed monthly pass, thank you.