The Knackered Converse Debate

[Sam]

Rubyblue - every pic you posted I thought was just awesome.
In fairness I can't see myself wearing them past the age of 21. But as teenage faux pas goes I think they're a damn sight better than the cuffed chino - today's article notwithstanding of course.

[rubyblue]

I agree with you on that, they are for someone whose style is slightly casual or at least more on the "experimental" side; they may be out of place in a more grown-up, formal style. I guess it depends on the image you want to project.
And it's true that they have a stigma from teenagers that only wear hoodies and loose fitting jeans and tees, but i think they can be incorporated in a more tailored, high-fashion look.

[dinger]

love them, i'm totally useless as what goes with what etc as some know on here, but i love my converse.
i'm a pub lad, jeans & tees with my chuck taylors on... i like that, i feel comfortable in that.
but.....hopefully this forum will teach me a few things about wearing something else

in the mean time though, my chucks wil lbe staying

[Hanneesh]

Hm, acceptable and cool but possibly only up to the age of 24. After that, you should probably start thinking of getting a man's shoe, and sorting yourself out with a tailor etc. Dressing for your age was a recent article on here, I think that's where the converse debate really lies.

I'm 22 and I bought my first pair of converse after a quarter life crisis recently. They are really comfortable but inevitably ubiquitous. If you can deal with that by wearing them in less banal way then thumbs up. Despite being partially adopted by a few chavy types their image as a rock n roll/youth culture shoe is as strong as ever in my opinion. The price is majorly slapped up as a result however. £42 rrp? not convinced by that.

Converse having to be knackered and dirty is a bit of cliche IMO, I like them box-fresh like Will Smith's in iRobot lol

[CentralParkMan]

I own a few pairs of Converse myself but I don't think Converse shoes in general look good once they're worn out. To me any shoe that looks really old or worn in looks a little sloppy. After all people say you can tell a lot about a man from his shoe choice and I don't want people to think I'm a slob.

[MarcLager]

I own a pair of red Converse, and think they're a very versatile shoe for just throwing on. They go with almost anything, and come in a range of sober colours. For a casual spring/summer look, I don't mind them being a bit knackered. In fact, I think a pair of box fresh Converse tend to look studious.

We all need a pair of throw on, punchball shoes that can take a beating, but still look reasonably stylish. Very few trainers take wear as gracefully as Converse in my opinion.

[MySuave]

I love converse! yes i agree it is a common trainer but its common for a reason, its because you can be so versatile with converse. When im not feeling to put effort into my look, i just slap on some converse, jeans and a slim fit T-shirt, you cant go wrong. My smart casual look, beige trench coat, slim fit white shirt, light blue jeans and converse's signature white trainer!

Now if u put forward the same debate with a different trainer like air force ones (trying not to puke) then we would be on the same page

[mattyg]

I believe there is a place for converse chucks in any wardrobe. They are a simple design that work well with any casual look and go very nicely with shorts for those of us in warmer climates. As for them getting to the knackered state, that is then a personal choice and dependant on your look/image. I would suggest guys starting to look a bit more mature (say 30+) steer away from this look, but apart from that, go for it! A great shoe that has stood the test of time for a reason.