I need more.

I expected a lot more from Converse and Anomaly. Please allow the fans to remix the video. Give us the video and allow us to score/add music to the visuals. Just a suggestion. The spot still goes harder than most footwear spots I’ve seen in 2010.

This was history. I wish I could have been in the A for it all. Adrian Walton aka A-Butta aka Whole Lotta Game aka Vince Carter Killer hit the game winning shot. Let’s go NYC!

props to Stan Lumax (far right) of Anomaly for putting together most of the event on the account direction/”get shit done” side of things.

props SOHH

I’m not sure when or if this happened but I’m sure this team won. I know I’m from Brooklyn but whatever.

This man is LEGEND. He went from Shammgod Wells to God Shammgod. He also went to a legendary high school in NYC, La Salle Academy, responsible for the likes of Ron Artest and Lenny Cooke. The “Shammgod” move has been appropriated by ballers around the world. There has not been a move named after a baller that has become as pervasive. This video is going to make me go back to the park near my crib and do dribbling drills with a blindfold. Is Converse asking us to send them videos or tell stories about what we do on the court? I’m down…

Message from Stan Lumax:

I’m not one for shameless self promotion, but hopefully my ability to create opportunities by pursuing my passions of photography and basketball can inspire others.

My response is, go for it Stan. We do not live in a time of journalistic integrity or the “gold watch” upon retirement or even guaranteed social security–for that matter. Everything done within moderation will ensure that your stories are shared with the collective. Like the griots that came before us, tell your story in a way that the uninitiated can fathom and OVERstand. Keep doing the great work. Be our Gil Scott-Heron. The streets and suits is watching.

A lot of people do not understand my love affair with JP (pause). It goes deeper than the sneakerhead, fashion, or material. It is a relationship built on the thesis of being misunderstood. Let me explain, Jack Purcell, full name, John Edward “Jack” Purcell (December 24, 1903 – June 10, 1991) was a Canadian world champion badminton player. Purcell was the Canadian National Badminton Champion in 1929 and 1930, and declared the world champion in 1933. He retired in 1945, and pursued a career as a stock broker. Purcell also designed an athletic shoe that bears his name, which is still popular today.

Born in Guelph, Ontario, Purcell excelled at tennis and golf as a child. He took up badminton in 1924, and rose quickly in Ontario’s amateur ranks. Purcell won five consecutive Ontario championships from 1927 to 1931, and was the Canadian National Badminton Champion in 1929 and 1930. Purcell became the leading badminton player in Canada, which led him to write a badminton column for the Toronto Star. In 1931, Purcell traveled to England, having beaten all his competitors in Canada. There, he won the Surrey Doubles but got only as far as the semi-finals in the All-England Championships.

After his trip to England, Purcell returned to Canada only to learn that he was stripped of his amateur status. The Canadian Badminton Association claimed that his Toronto Star articles made him a paid professional. As a professional badminton player, however, Purcell beat all the leading players in the world by 1932. He was declared world champion in 1933 based on his beating the top Canadian, American and British badminton players. His world championship status was challenged numerous times, but Purcell remained unbeaten until his retirement in 1945.

In 1950, the Canadian Press named Purcell as Canada’s Outstanding Athlete of the 20th Century in the miscellaneous sports category. He was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1973 despite having never played in the Olympic Games. At the time of his induction badminton was still not an Olympic sport. In 1955, he was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Outside of sports, Purcell was a stockbroker and a member of the Toronto Stock Exchange. He died in Toronto in 1991 at age 87. The Jack Purcell Recreation Centre, located in Ottawa (Ontario) was named after him.

Now to the part that is about the shoes.

Purcell designed a canvas and rubber badminton sneaker for the B.F. Goodrich Company of Canada in 1935. He designed the shoe to provide more protection and support on badminton courts. In the 1970s, Converse purchased the trademark rights to Jack Purcell sneakers – which it still produces and sells today. Converse “Jack Purcells” are still popular – but more for their vintage fashion appeal than for athletic use.

The difference fundamental difference between Charles Hollis “Chuck” Taylor (June 24, 1901 – June 23, 1969), was an American basketball player and shoe salesman/evangelist and John Edward “Jack” Purcell is that Jack did it because he could and Chuck did it for the love. So if you ever wonder why every sneaker/tennis shoe you see me in has a ‘Jack Purcell’ on the back of the heel, now you know.

Some pictures for your visual pleasure

Note: This bio was basically ripped from Wikipedia because I could not find better info on Converse.com or translate Converse.co.jp. Thanks for your understanding.

The fusion concept that has become prevalent with Nike’s Jordan Brand has spread to Converse. It’s all in the family; however, Converse is the pretty sister while Jordan Brand is the obnoxious brother. I choose the sister! I love the Jack Purcell’s that I have spotted in the Dress Code 1/2 line up. I can’t wait to receive my three pair. More on Jack Purcell later this week. Promise.

Those who know me are aware that I love to experience brands. I especially have a soft spot in my heart for Converse. This love comes from the opportunity I had to intern in their advertising department in North Andover, MA while in college. I was out in Mass during the summer of ’07; a time when Converse was edging their way back to the forefront of the footwear and lifestyle category. They had recently began their relationship with John Varvatos and were quietly adding seasons to their fledgling apparel division. This post is a nod to the development of the aforementioned apparel– of which they were so excited about while I was doing my intern stint. Cudos to their agency of record, Anomaly, and the team that concepted and executed this idea.

More info:

Converse presented each collection in different rooms of NYC’s famously bohemian Hotel Chelsea. Visiting the homes of long-term residents Man-Lai Liang, event planner; Zaldy, clothing designer and Steve Willis, film director was a unique opportunity to to take in the creative material these artists choose to surround themselves with.

P.S. I can not wait until J. Crew and Converse take their relationship to the next level. I am patiently waiting…

via Cool Hunting