Hey phil, thanks for sharing this. Yes, I'm amazed what the Chuck Taylor Converses are selling for these days. I'm 43 and I remember paying $19.95 for a pair when I was a teenager. The truth is, I found them to be quite uncomfortable. They have ZERO arch support classic Americana though!
Years later, in the late 60's early 70's it was Jack Purcell bumpers.
When I was young I lived in Pirmasens, Germany which was the shoe capital of Germany! As such that's where they made soldiers boots during WWII so Pirmasens was unmercifully bombed.
But onto our modern day story. In the 1969-72 period I lived there, all the American kids wore Adidas or Puma sneakers because the factories were right in town and we bought the shoes for $10 or so a pair at the company outlet stores. We moved back to the states to NJ in 1973 and I need a new pair of Adidas so we headed to the mall and almost had a heart attack. The shoes were $60! That was a load of money back then.
Ernie - you and I are the same time period - one year apart. I loved my Converses and you're right, no arch support. They hurt like the dickens sometimes after a school day but I wasn't giving mine up for the world. Those and my Docs - right through high school and into university.
Ironically, they've re-created the exact design from the '80s in Hong Kong so I picked up a few pair on eBay about 3 years ago. Love the mold of the canvas but at least I don't need them for walking anymore (a benefit to having a spinal cord injury?) but I get to relive my love of that design and still wear my docs! I think I'm stuck in a time warp - but apparently, according to Walmart and other stores our clothes from the '80s are now retro. Who would have thought?
Oh well, beats the modified bell-bottoms we wore as kids in the '70s!
Love this ad Phil - amazing the style here in '30s were worn by my folks in the '50s and then my generation - 80 years goes to show that some styles just don't go out of style (just hiatus perhaps).
i saw this card in a dealers box and could not resist...when i am in a department store and i see the Converse canvas sneakers selling for $55-60 and i try to recall what our canvas Keds sneakers cost in the late 1940's probably 2 to 3 dollars at most..I suppose with inflation things are relative..but the cheap canvas sneaker was a great equalizer..working class or middle class all the kids wore them ! I will spend my money on a running shoe..not canvas..thank you !
re: 1936 postcard advertising canvas sneakers !
Hey phil, thanks for sharing this. Yes, I'm amazed what the Chuck Taylor Converses are selling for these days. I'm 43 and I remember paying $19.95 for a pair when I was a teenager. The truth is, I found them to be quite uncomfortable. They have ZERO arch support classic Americana though!
re: 1936 postcard advertising canvas sneakers !
Years later, in the late 60's early 70's it was Jack Purcell bumpers.
re: 1936 postcard advertising canvas sneakers !
When I was young I lived in Pirmasens, Germany which was the shoe capital of Germany! As such that's where they made soldiers boots during WWII so Pirmasens was unmercifully bombed.
But onto our modern day story. In the 1969-72 period I lived there, all the American kids wore Adidas or Puma sneakers because the factories were right in town and we bought the shoes for $10 or so a pair at the company outlet stores. We moved back to the states to NJ in 1973 and I need a new pair of Adidas so we headed to the mall and almost had a heart attack. The shoes were $60! That was a load of money back then.
re: 1936 postcard advertising canvas sneakers !
Ernie - you and I are the same time period - one year apart. I loved my Converses and you're right, no arch support. They hurt like the dickens sometimes after a school day but I wasn't giving mine up for the world. Those and my Docs - right through high school and into university.
Ironically, they've re-created the exact design from the '80s in Hong Kong so I picked up a few pair on eBay about 3 years ago. Love the mold of the canvas but at least I don't need them for walking anymore (a benefit to having a spinal cord injury?) but I get to relive my love of that design and still wear my docs! I think I'm stuck in a time warp - but apparently, according to Walmart and other stores our clothes from the '80s are now retro. Who would have thought?
Oh well, beats the modified bell-bottoms we wore as kids in the '70s!
Love this ad Phil - amazing the style here in '30s were worn by my folks in the '50s and then my generation - 80 years goes to show that some styles just don't go out of style (just hiatus perhaps).