Sneaker News Intermixing brand logos under the Nike, Inc. umbrella doesn’t happen often, but it has always had strong results. Former Nike/Jordan employee and designer Ben Kirschner recently shared a look at a personal pair of customized Converse Chuck Taylors that date back to 2011; it features the Jordan Wings label fixed to the tongue.
Kirshner shares with Sneaker News “When I first started working for Jordan Brand, all I wore were Chucks. I was told I wasn’t allowed to wear them because they weren’t Jordan. At the time I had friends at Converse so we cooked up this idea to pitch a collab. Jordan Brand didn’t want to do it but at least I had a Chuck Taylor I could wear while at work. Haha”
Converse shoes with Nike/Jordan logos don’t happen often, although there have been a few instances in which their respective marks ended up on a Converse silhouette. In 2017, Jordan Brand and Converse released a two-pair package that included the Converse Fast Break with Wings logos on the insoles. In 2018, Converse and Jordan Brand revealed a Converse Pro Leather “Birth Of Michael Jordan” inspired by the 35th Anniversary of UNC’s NCAA Championship in 1982. They were created exclusively for friends and family and never released to the public.
Later that same year, Mike Cherman, founder of Market (formerly Chinatown Market), created a “Bootleg” pair of Converse Chuck 70s featuring a Nike Swoosh logo and the brand’s happy face symbol in place of the iconic star patch. With the help Ben Kirschner, that controversial pair ended up on the feet of LeBron James, creating a viral moment and eventually adding some notoriety to Cherman’s brand.
Kirschner reveals that it was actually Devin Booker who first received and wore the pair. Cherman eventually did a secret release of the shoes in limited number to loyal brand followers. Today, Kirschner works closely with Devin Booker on special projects.
