Tag Archives: How Are Sneakers Made?

Pics From American Converse All Star Factory in the 90s

“How Are Sneakers Made?” by Henry Horenstein (1993, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers), is a picture book that takes readers through the creation of sneakers- specifically the Converse All Star– at a former Converse factory in Lumberton, North Carolina!

HowAreSneakersMadeCOverI remember around the turn of the century when I heard that Converse would no longer be producing their All Star shoes in the USA. The company had been rescued from a brush with bankruptcy and would soon be purchased by Nike. I picked up a couple pairs of the all black high tops and kept them in my bullpen.

ConverseFactorySoleAttaching
A worker machine presses soles ro uppers at the old Converse factory in North Carolina. Scanned from the book “How Are Sneakers Made?” by Henry Horenstein (1993 Simon and Schuster)

I thought All Stars were good for BMX freestyle bicycling. Their lack of girth around the foot and archless flat rubber soles made dancing on the pedals, tires and stunt-pegs more natural, as opposed to bulkier basketball-type sneaks.

GluingToecapsOntoAllStars
A worker dips an All Star toe in adhesive for toe-cap attachment.at the old Converse factory in North Carolina. Scanned from the book “How Are Sneakers Made?” by Henry Horenstein (1993 Simon and Schuster)

When I became more of a mountain-biker in the 00s,  All Stars remained on the roster. Whenever I tried to walk far wearing them, the tongues would always slide to the outer side of my foot- even when wearing proper socks. I started to get into footwear with more developed leather uppers and advanced footbeds.

AttachingEyeletsToAllStars
A worker pokes metal eyelet washers into an All Star at the old Converse factory in North Carolina. Scanned from the book “How Are Sneakers Made?” by Henry Horenstein (1993 Simon and Schuster)

My last pair of Made-in-the-USA All Stars “died” a couple years ago. I cut them apart in reverse to see how they were constructed (before Michael from Allston Massachusetts gifted Popdiatry with this excellent book).

Converse_Allstar_toecaps
All that remains of my last All Stars

If I desire the All Star body again, I would probably go with some Etiko clones. Etiko, not to be confused with Ekito, is a post-millennial shoe and clothing company that pays  special attention to fairtrade issues, and goes for eco-friendly manufacturing practices. Since I walk a lot these days, the flat arch design of this type of shoe is not optimal; but for certain activities like bike riding, weight training, or just lamping, the classic no-frill design of a “Chuck” may be just what the podiatrist ordered.