Converse opened its first full-price
retail shop, on Newbury Street in Boston. A SoHo location will open in
New York by the end of this year with other East Coast locations
following in 2011, according to the Boston Globe.
The two-level store measures 4,000 square feet.
The store features restored wood from old high school bleachers on the
walls that double as display shelves. New York City subway tile cover the walls as a
tribute to New York fashion crowd that adopted the Chuck
Taylor high-top as a
fashion statement.
The stores includes a full line of apparel such as denim, tees, and jackets that combine the feel of high school gym class
with a rock 'n' roll edge, according to the article. Converse has been producing a line of apparel for Target and a
high-end menswear with designer John Varvatos, but it has
never produced its own line.
About 40 to 50 styles of footwear will only be available at the Newbury
store.
The store has a station where shoppers can customize T-shirts, bags,
even Chuck Taylors. They can scroll through more than 100 images on
iPads located at the counter to choose the design. The customization process takes 15 minutes.
Converse has 53 outlet stores, according to the article.
