Drawing the line: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Drawing the line: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Besides the obvious, what’s the difference between the Converse All Star Low tops and the Converse All Star High tops?

THE OBVIOUS

It’s all in the name. The most visible difference between these two iconic Converse styles are, of course, the shape of the shoes. One being high top and the other being low top.

HEEL PATCH

Another bold difference is the addition of the heel patch to the inside of the high-tops. Now a classic Converse calling-card, the heel patch was added to protect the ankle on the advice of basketball player Chuck Taylor who the brand on-boarded to help redesign and promote the product. Taylor’s signature was included in the heel patch, marking his endorsement and the shoe became known as the Chuck Taylor All Stars.

TONGUE

In 1957 Converse introduced the low-cut version of the All-Star shoe. Unlike the high-top’s, the low version features a branded patch on the tongue. The patch is similar to the branded heel plate that features on the back of both the high and low top styles, just updated with “CONVERSE”.

SO…?

In summary, aside from the high & low cut on the ankle and a couple of branding details, these two footwear icons share all the best style attributes. Not to mention an enduring legacy to boot.