Converse is a US-based shoe company that distributes, designs, and licenses skating shoes, sneakers, footwear, apparel, and accessories. It was founded in 1908 and was acquired by Nike in 2003.
During World War II, Converse began manufacturing military footwear; it was one of the first producers of athletic shoes and dominated the athletic footwear market for over half a century; from the 1970s, this dominance waned as competitors shot to prominence.
The company’s portfolio currently includes products such as Converse, Chuck Taylor All-Star (“Chucks”), and Star Chevron. Converse frequently releases special edition products with other brands, most notably John Varvatos. Converse shoes have several distinguishable features, including the signature emblem, the rubber sole, the smooth toe cap, and the wrap-around strip. As of 2019, converse sells products through 100+ company-owned retail stores in the US and 63 stores abroad.
Famous Converse trademarks
With a dominant market share for 50+ years and still being a recognizable brand today, it’s no surprise that Converse has a growing intellectual property portfolio. Let’s look at the registered trademarks of Converse, Inc.
Converse
The “Converse” wordmark is one of the first trademark registrations completed; following its first use in 1916, the word “Converse” was initially registered in 1969 and has been expanded several times since. The trademark currently covers:
- Basketball shoes, industrial boots, casual shoes, jackets, trousers, shirts, and other clothing
- Sporting goods, specifically golf shoes, track shoes, and air floats
- Exercise books, wire-bound books, ballpoint pens, cartridge pens, and other stationery
- Book bags
- Shoe laces
- Socks
- Sports bags
- Retail store services featuring footwear, clothing, sports bags, and book bags
- Downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags, sports bags, backpacks, sports equipment, art, toys, and accessories for use online and in online virtual worlds
- Retail store services featuring virtual goods, namely footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, sports bags, backpacks, sports equipment, art, toys, and accessories for use online, online retail store services featuring virtual merchandise, namely, footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags, sports bags, backpacks, sports equipment, art, toys, and accessories
- Entertainment services including providing online, non-downloadable virtual footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags, sports bags, backpacks, sports equipment, art, toys, and accessories for use in virtual environments
- Sunglasses and eyeglasses
All-Star
The All-Star line is one of the most recognizable parts of the Converse brand, usually offering casual sports shoes. The design of the All-Star shoe has largely been unchanged since the 1920s. The wordmark was first used in 1916 and registered in 1976 for use in the following categories:
- Sports bags
- Athletic shoes
- Clothing
Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star emblem
The Converse emblem consists of the word “Converse” above “All-Star” flanked by “Chuck Taylor” in a circular design with a star in the center. This emblem is often seen on Converse merchandise. It was first seen in 1946 and registered in 1980 for use in:
- Athletic footwear
- All-purpose sports bags
- Snow jackets, sweaters, tank tops, and other clothing
- Book bags and briefcase-style portfolios
- Boxers and men’s briefs
- Exercise books, wire-bound books, hardback books, ballpoint pens, cartridge pens, elasticated binders, erasers, filled pencil cases, pencils, pencil packs, and pencil sets
Chuck Taylor’s signature
The Chuck Taylor signature is one of the oldest Converse trademarks; it was first seen in 1934 and was trademarked in the same year. The trademark has since been expanded and currently covers:
- Shoes made of leather, fabric, and rubber
- Apparel: warm-up suits, shirts, pants, jackets, and shorts
Converse short shoe
The mark consists of the three-dimensional trade dress design of the iconic and classic Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoe, which claims several distinct features. Most notably, the rubber toe strip with four layers of banding, two parallel horizontal lines (along the outsole), and the contrasting stripe from the front edge of the license plate heel tab to the back edge of the rubber toe bumper. There are also brushed metal grommets for shoe laces. The design was first seen in 1962 and was registered in 2011 for:
- Athletic footwear
Star logo
The star logo was first used in 1916 and has since been adapted to form a core part of Converse’s branding and marketing. The basic logo, consisting only of a 5-point star, was registered in 1962 to be used in:
- Canvas-topped, rubber-soled shoes
Related: Trademarking a logo
Converse hightop design
This product design trademark consists of a trade dress design of the classic Chuck Taylor All-Star basketball shoe. The trademark includes the ankle patch on the inside ankle, the double rand stripes, the brushed metal grommets, and lacing mechanisms. The hightop design was first seen in 1946 and is registered (since 2011) for use in:
- Athletic footwear
Jack Purcell signature
Jack Purcell was a famous sportsman and athlete who later designed a Converse shoe that remains popular today. Several popular designs bear his signature. First used in 1935, it was subject to trademark registration in 2008 in:
- Other clothing includes footwear, wind-resistant suits, jackets, short and long sleeve tops, T-shirts, gym shorts, and sweaters
- Rubber-soled canvas shoes for men, women, and children
Converse logo
The oldest Converse logo registered consists of the word “Converse” in a rectangular design, to the right of a five-pointed star. The logo was registered in 1970 following its first use in 1967, and it’s registered for use in:
- Golf shoes, track shoes, wrestling shoes, and baseball shoes
- Hockey pucks, air floats, and air mattresses
- Hunting boots, fishing boots, rubber shoes, tennis shoes, boat shoes, basketball shoes, and other shoes
One Star
One of the newest trademark applications submitted is for the “One Star” brand and logo. The trademark application was submitted in 2018 and, if approved, will apply to:
- Clothing, namely, T-shirts, shorts, pants, tank tops, sweat suits, jackets, sweaters, jeans, fleece tops and bottoms, wind-resistant suits and jackets, exercise suits, exercise pants and tops, woven shirts, sweat pants, sweatshirts, socks, shorts, skirts, short and long sleeved T-shirts; and headgear, namely, sport caps and knit caps
Rubber Tracks
Rubber Tracks is the name of Converse’s recording studio. Following its first use in 2011, the trademark registration was completed in 2018 for:
- Recording studios and recording studio services
Chuck 70
The Chuck 70’s are “the ultimate vintage throwback,” bringing back the original Chuck Taylor design. Following its release in 2013, it was trademarked in 2018 for use in:
- Athletic footwear
Cons
Converse trademarked the wordmark “Cons” in 1988 for use in:
- Athletic footwear
Converse All-Star logo
The Converse All-Star logo consists of the earlier mentioned Converse logo (a five-pointed star within a rectangular design) above the word “All-Star.” Following its first use in 1977; the trademark was registered in 1980 for:
- Athletic footwear
Wrapping up
Converse sneakers are one of the most emulated in the world, with knockoffs remaining a prevalent issue. Thanks to a vast intellectual property portfolio, Converse’s rights are well established. Converse owns more than 40 trademarks. In addition, Converse has been involved in several high-profile trademark infringement cases, most notably with Nike (due to Skechers).
Converse was also involved in a high-profile court case against the ITC (International Trade Commission). Converse is one of the largest brands, boasting billions of dollars in annual revenue. Such a unique and lucrative brand must be placed under trademark protection. Converses’ trademarks are related to footwear, clothing, and sports bags.
