I had the chance to visit the good people of Converse yesterday to preview their Fall and Winter 2008 collections. It’s the Converse Century celebration, so to speak. Since 1908, we’ve been able to kick our heels back in style, thanks to Chuck, James, John and Kirk. Well, I might be exaggerating a bit. But thanks to the creative minds at Converse, women and men can saunter in style and save the soles of their feet. And now, we can do it while we make a difference. Converse’s 1Hund(RED) campaign stylizes creativity, courage and awareness and laces it together in their signature look. Over 100 emerging artists, ranging from textile, pipe and other materials to musicians and writers, were asked to contribute their designs. They were asked to illustrate what the number 100 and the word RED meant to them. With that in mind, they were asked to send their samples in. Some of my favourites from the project include the two, Chuck Taylor All Star’s featured below. Mike Schall’s “Fit for Change” uses his pipe work as inspiration. The metallic pipes, totaling 100 in number are accented in red throughout the shoe. The black backdrop is totally groovy. Ginger Jones had the idea to draw 100 mosquitoes inside the shoe, and then use a mesh, net layer on the outside to resemble a malaria net.