Throughout the history of the National Basketball Association, many apparel lines and shoe companies have represented the players on the court. It wasn’t too long ago when one brand reigned supreme, unlike today’s game that features a bidding war of sorts between the likes of Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour. During the 60s and 70s, Converse captured headlines as the premiere shoe in the NBA.
The Chuck Taylors were worn by stars like Julius Erving, Bill Russell, and Los Angeles Lakers legend Wilt Chamberlain, labeling themselves the superior footwear for the ABA and NBA. Chamberlain even donned Chuck Taylors when he achieved his famous 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors back in 1962. Converse has re-launched a campaign dedicated to the NBA Chuck Taylor All-Star Collection, representing the current 30 teams in the association.
Converse will have three different models as the basis for their sneakers, with ‘Gameday’, ‘Legend’, and ‘Franchise’ editions available. The Chuck ’70 NBA Legend portion features 250 limited edition pairs for each team. Each pair will be labeled from 1 to 250, composed from authentic jerseys, with leather lining backing it up. The interior of the shoe is also supported by leather, with NBA logos and collaborated NBA and Converse logos embroidered under the tongue of the shoe.
The Chuck ’70 NBA Legend edition honors the five storied franchises in the history of this great sport. The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks will all have specific historical events woven into the designs of the sneakers.
Los Angeles’ design will celebrate all the historic franchise has accomplished during their illustrious reign. 16 stars, celebrating their 16 championships, will be embroidered onto the tongue of the shoe. Also, the design features jerseys numbers like that of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.
The Converse x NBA LA Lakers edition is said to “embody showmanship and functionality, with an internal gold foil print and silver hardware, along with premium leather lining.”
Converse is attempting to get a step ahead of their collection, by also launching a line of Converse NBA apparel to form a full street-wear uniform. By forming exclusive Converse NBA branding, they will launch the collection that features a winter wool bomber jacket and a hooded coaches jacket, along with Converse hoodies, crewnecks, long-sleeves, and joggers.
The debut of the NBA Chuck Taylor All-Star Collection is today September 29. You can go to the Converse website to purchase a pair, with an SRP of $250 for the Gameday edition, $150 for Legend, and $100 for Franchise.