In the Fall 2010, DC Comics and Converse decided to collaborate to bring us sneakers with illustrations of DC Comics’ characters printed on them. Now every season, a new collection comes out, and Fall 2014 is no exception!
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the most successful American comic books companies, featuring many superheroes and superhero teams such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Justice League, and Teen Titans. It is also known for its iconic villains such as the Joker, Catwoman, Bane, etc. DC Comics is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment, which is a company of Time Warner.
Converse Inc. is a sportswear and lifestyle brand footwear company. It offers three models of sneakers: the Chuck Taylor All Star, CONS (One Star), and Jack Purcell. They also allow customization on the Chuck Taylor model. Today, they offer a wide range of footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and children.
Interestingly enough, the Spring 2011 and Fall 2014 collections have four illustrated characters in common: the Joker, Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. The main difference between these artworks is that the 2011’s illustrations have been colored up in vintage comic-book style in order to celebrate DC Comics’ 75th Anniversary. The small differences are that in the Spring 2011 collection, the Joker was accompanied by other villains such as the Penguin, etc., and that the 2014 collection features the Justice League too (for a total of 5 editions of sneakers released this year).
Here are a few fun facts about the Converse DC Comics 2014 collection:
- It marks the 8th season of collaboration between DC Comics and Converse.
- All of the editions are available in adult sizes, but unfortunately, the kids only have access to three: the Justice League, Batman, and the Joker.
- This collection features artwork by renowned DC Comics artists Andy Kubert (the Justice League), Jim Lee (Wonder Woman) who’s also the Co-Publisher of DC Entertainment, Kenneth Rocafort (Superman).
- Batman and Joker share the same illustrator: Jock (Mark Simpson)!
- Their suggested retail price ranges from $35 to $60.
As for the illustrations, the Justice league (DC Comics superhero team) is printed on both sides of the sneakers as well as its logo is on the tongue of the sneakers. Superman is shown along with the iconic red and yellow S-Shield printed on the tongue. Moreover, it includes a red lining with an all-over printed logo, and a pair of white laces and one of grey laces with the Superman S-Shield. The Joker edition offers a detailed and dark drawing of the Joker made of bats and laughter (ha ha’s). His name is scribbled in red on the tongue and on the lining of the sneakers. The Batman sneakers feature two images of the detective in action on both sides of them. The iconic Batman logo is printed on the tongue of the sneakers and along the inner lining. As for the Wonder Woman edition, there are two different images on both side of the sneakers which are printed with the yellow logo of Wonder Woman.