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By tracing the origins and evolution of the game, one discovers that Converse is forever linked to the heritage of basketball. In fact, Converse created an entire industry following its invention of the very first basketball shoe in 1917, the All Star. Converse has since relentlessly delivered an ever-improving lineage of performance basketball shoes designed to keep up with the rapid evolution of the game.

Each pair of Converse performance basketball shoes from the early 1900’s through present day carries with it the DNA of the original – the Converse All Star. Each innovative pair of Converse shoes has evolved with the game itself. Each pair was designed to contribute to improvements in players’ speed, agility, and finesse. Each authentic pair of Converse then owes a bit of its sole, and soul, to the original shoe that inspired new levels of athleticism, unbelievable performances, and new styles of play that preceded the modern game. Converse was first. Converse is original. Converse is The First School.

From the early days of the game to present day, basketball legends have come and gone, but they’re seldom forgotten. The same is true with the performance shoes worn by those on the road to greatness. Some shoes left their marks in the minds and hearts of those who wore them – at the local park or in the greatest championships ever played. The authentic performance basketball shoes that Converse has retired from competitive play remain style icons today for those who relish their storied pasts. These icons comprise the Converse Heritage Basketball Collection.

Though legendary in their own time, these same performance shoes were inevitably replaced by the next most innovative offering. Fortunately for Converse, we tended to replace our own product with new, groundbreaking performance shoes, deftly keeping pace with the speed and evolution of the game. Some things never change. Converse’s newest performance entries are delivering on the feet of today’s emerging NBA stars.

This new generation of performance basketball shoes, which carry forward the original and unrivaled Converse basketball DNA, represent the Converse Performance Basketball Collection.