
Converse vs. Vans: Which suits you better?
Introduction
For young people, shoes are always one of the targets in clothing. They choose cool shoes to match jeans or feminine shoes for a suit, which strongly shows personal charisma. For example, we can put on the canvas shoes with a simple T-Shirt with a pair of straight jeans, which is the most classic. For leisure purpose, now, Converse and Vans are two famous iconic footwear brands that have been popular among young consumers for many decades. Both brands have a rich history and have made a significant impact on fashion. Converse was founded in 1908 and gained popularity in the 1920s with its canvas basketball shoes. Vans established in 1966 and became popular among skateboarders and surfers in the 1970s. Despite their different origins, both Converse and Vans have become synonymous with stylish footwear that appeals to a wide range of customer. In following article, I will explore the similarities and differences between these two brands. Because they will always be slight differences that affect the reason to buy.Which one suits you better.
Timeline of Converse and Vans
Converse
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1908 Marquis Mills Converse founded Converse in U.S.
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1917 The Chuck Taylor All Star is the official basketball shoe of the NBA
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1936 The American basketball team wears them to compete in the Olympics
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1972 The US basketball team lost their first Olympics game while wearing Converse
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2003 Converse was acquired by Nike
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2015 The first updated version of the Chuck Taylor All Star II shoe in nearly a century
Vans
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1966 Paul Van Doren and three partners founded Vans
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2004 Vans has been acquired by VF corporation

Figure 1.
Source: self-made timeline
Timeline of Converse
At first, I will introduce the historical timeline of Converse and Vans, shown in Figure 1. The following timeline provides some information regarding that we must know by Converse and Vans. According to the timeline, Converse was founded earlier than Vans. The former was established in 1908, while the latter was founded in 1966. Their commonality is that they were all eventually acquired by other companies. Specifically, Nike and VF. In different contexts, Converse tended to be basketball shoes and they were worn during the first Olympic Games as well. However, Vans created shoes that are easy to put on and take off.

Figure 2.
Source: self-made bar chart
If we look at how popular these two brands among US teens, Figure 2 has the answer. This is a bar graph which indicates the proportion of the favorite footwear brands among US teens. According to the bar graph, Vans less than 10% of teens named it their favorite sneaker brand in spring 2017. However, this proportion has increased to 19% in fall 2018. According to the bar graph, fall 2017, which accounted for 6.9%, are the most favorable of Converse. Spring 2017 and spring 2018 comes next at 6.15%, followed by fall 2018, which makes up 4.61%. Why Vans has more teens like to wear their shoes? Following I will tell you. First, Vans has more color in their design. Second, their target audience is the attitude that I don’t care of the rebellious psychology. Last, their market aspect uses the celebrity effect behind "no need for spokespersons”. Thinking everyone who agree their thoughts are their endorsement. Why Converse fluctuate slight? It can’t have more teens to choose their shoes. Next, I will tell you the answer. To begin, it doesn’t Vans' wider range of bold and colorful choices. After, Converse shoes have a narrower toe cap and thin sole compared to Vans, so they are not as comfortable. Finally, teenagers tend to be more active, and the American street style is popular; hence they tend to pay more attention to Vans rather than Converse. Therefore, that's why Vans bar graph higher than Converse on Figure 2.
DESIGN


Converse shoes are often seen as vintage-inspired. The most iconic Converse shoe is the Chuck Taylor All-Star, which comes in a variety of colors and patterns but maintains the same basic design. There are simple design allows them to be versatile and worn with a variety of outfits. Vans shoes are often seen as more casual and skate-inspired. They often feature the brand's signature side stripe, which is a contrasting stripe that runs along the side of the shoe. This is their unique and recognizable design. Vans shoes also come in a variety of styles, and it may have a wider variety of bold and colorful options, which have more choices.
CUSTOMER SOURCE
Converse shoes are often seen as a classic or retro look. This might be a choice for someone with choice disorder. Consequently, Converse’s users are more general. Unlike Vans it is most inclined to extreme sports, so the customer base is relatively limited. Vans shoes are often seen as smart casual. But it has a durable and strong-gripping sole. It has attracted many professionals, such as professional skateboarders.




SLOGAN
Every brand has its own slogan to make it easier for consumers to remember. This is also a marketing tactic for them. Converse is “Shoes are boring. Wear sneakers.” This statement emphasizes that Converse shoes are both fashionable and practical athletic shoes that provide people with a comfortable experience while also making them look stylish and cool. Vans uses the skateboarding term "OFF THE WALL" as its brand slogan. It points out that Vans' products not only meet the needs of traditional athletic shoes, but also break through tradition, showing individual style and uniqueness.


Conclusion

Both Converse and Vans are popular brands of footwear that have been around for many years. Overall, the choice between Converse and Vans comes down to personal style, preference and how to plan to wear. If you prefer timeless look, Converse might be the better choice. On top of that if you want more casual shoe, Vans could be the way to go. Consequently, every pair of shoes is worth trying on to choose the one that feels best and suits your style best.
References
<<Articles>>
Converse // Shoes Are Boring, Wear Sneakers (Parkour Commercial)
Vans slogan- off the wall
https://kknews.cc/zh-tw/news/3b85gjo.html
Vans和Converse 哪一個檔次高
https://www.vanstaiwan.com.tw/vans-v83yuowq/
Converse 品牌進化史
https://www.everydayobject.us/2016/07/13/converse-all-star-classic/
VANS品牌介紹
https://www.vanstaiwan.com.tw/vans-introduction/
Vans 到底哪裡吸引人?全靠背後這 3 點精準經營策略
https://hypebeast.com/zh/2018/8/behind-the-business-strategy-of-vans
<<Data source>>

<<Photos>>
https://www.irreverentgent.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/ConverseVsVansBanner.jpg
https://www.90sfashion.com/vans-vs-converse/
https://images.milledcdn.com/2014-08-14/B2WklOKARq-kDrRv/c@2x.jpg
https://www.creativosonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Logo-VANS.png
https://media.gq.com.tw/photos/5dbc37d6cfb8d000081c158c/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/2018121866952765.jpg
https://images.dappei.com/uploads/article/cover/1056/large_dc29a62a00b95b05.jpg
