Finally Got Some Wilt Shoes!
 

I found a pair of black Converse All-Stars today at Hibbett's Sports in Hartsville! I had several pairs of these when I was a kid, but it had been so long, I forgot what they felt like. I know why Wilt wears them all the time, now-these are SO comfortable! It's like not wearing shoes at all, almost! I found out from this little card thingie that was in the box, that this was the first-ever shoe developed especially for basketball players, and that was way back in 1923! It's just too bad my stupid school district won't allow teachers(except for PE teachers and coaches)to wear sneakers of any sort, since these would sure feel better while walking around on those cement floors than the shoes I have to wear.

pitbulllady

What? They don't let teachers where sneakers? Aw, that's a silly rule.

Sweet, now we can be shoe buddies :D I got a pair of Converse myself. And yes mine are also black with a white trim and white laces just like the "Wiltman".

You're right they are very comfortable shoes. I didn't even need to buy insoles for them.

Well poop. :P I'd think that anyone who has to be on their feet a lot should be able to wear sneakers.

I have a pair of the red ones somewhere; I got them because they're what Jacques LaLean wears on the Beetlejuice cartoon. :terrsmile:

man I've been wanting a pair of converses for like ever
lucky duck

I have a pair of pink ones, as well as some black velour ones with pink accents. They look like this:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I love them. They are SO comfortable. My mother hates them... But then again she assumes that whenever I wear black I'm going goth. It's got the girly magenta on it, though, so it's so me.

I had to search forever for the pic though, because I don't think Converse makes them anymore (they only had the low-top version on their website... hmmm).

Converse rule.

-Marty 8-)

Yes, Converse obviously DOES make them, since mine are brand-new from a sporting goods store that specializes in athletic footwear, and they had several sizes available, including a pair that probably would have fit Wilt's feet, weird toes and all! According the clerk, these are becoming popular again...gee, I wonder WHY? If you ask me, though, Converse is missing out on a HUGE advertizing/marketing opp, by not hooking up with Cartoon Network and developing a shoe with Wilt's picture on it, over the Converse star, perhaps, and letting him be their official spokesperson! Wonder how many fans(besides me, obviously)would go out and buy a pair of shoes because Wilt endorses them?

It's interesting what you said about your mom fearing that you wearing black is a sign of being "Goth". The last time these Converse All-Stars were popular was in the early '80's, during the "Punk" movement, and that was the last time I owned a pair. I guess that the Punk scene was that era's version of the Goth scene today, and I was definately into Punk. If you were a real Punk Rocker, you HAD to either wear black Converse All-Stars, or black Doc Martin boots, but most of us couldn't afford the latter, so All-Stars it was! Even then, though, I thought it was funny and ironic that the same shoes I had when I was in second grade were associated with this "darker" movement and music genre! Now, of course, everyone associates them with Wilt!

pitbulllady

Yeah and that would totally fit in with those "Get Active" PSA's Cartoon Network has been promoting for the past few years. So it will be like one of those everybody wins scenarios.

Converse has been becoming popular in Australia way before Fosters came out. I bought these babies a good few years ago, but rarely wore, well before I knew of Wilt.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...oes/shoes2.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...oes/shoes1.jpg

But last year I saw the loveable logo..

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...nverselogo.jpg

And got THESE babies of which I have worn religiously since.

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...oes/shoes3.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j1...oes/shoes4.jpg

Wilt's shoes, if he wore em during the 60's. PEACE MAN. =P But without the GIR socks, obviously.

Bah, I see some girls at my school wearing shoes like those, and gee, I wonder WHY? It's either:
A: There are more Foster's fans than I realize
or B: The shoes in question are popular again

I wanted the black ones, but I had to get pink cuz we couldn't afford it. (It's like, $30 here!) In fact, the ones I got are EVEN Converse...The shoes I got that are pink but simular to Wilt's were Airwalk...Whenever I look at the girls who DO have Converse shoes, I think: Man, are THEY lucky...

Mom even tried to tell me they only had the BOY type. But did I care? Noooooooooooo.

I've had a pair of the traditional black/white Converse for a looong time, but I've only worn them for about 2 years. I promised myself I'd wear them whenever they went out of style, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon so I gave in and wore them!8D I had them before Foster's, but seeing the Wilt-man wear them whenever it came out made me love them even more than what I already do. I agree with you, PBL, they are incredibly comfortable! I've worn mine so much that the side of each shoe is ripping out. I desperately need a new pair, but I just CANNOT bring myself to throw my broken-in ones away!

There are more fans than you realise. Imagine my suprise when my friend told me she had seen the cheese stuff on youtube (I knew she lked fosters) and my other friend said, "cheese? what?" and she said, "I like chocolate milk" and the other friend recognised it!

What is the price range for a pair of All-Stars, hmm? :D

I saw them for about $40.00 on Foot-Locker.com, I paid about $50.00 for mine but that's in Canadian funds, some things are always a little more expensive here.

I paid $20.00 for mine, brand-new.

pitbulllady

Super-cool. :D That is definitely okay!

That's a great price, and one you don't see too often (and usually for clearances).

I wore Converse All-Stars (or Chucks, as I've always called them) for most of my childhood. Many different colors (I like the classic off-white ones the best), all hi-tops. My father has dozens of pairs that he has worn since the 1960s, he's painted many of them to look like zebra stripes, leopard spots and the like.
Extremely comfortable shoe, especially brand new.

Problem is I wear one pair of shoes pretty much all the time, so I wore out the soles of my Chucks after 5-8 months. That was fine when they cost $15-$25. I can't pay $40-$50 for them knowing I'll wear them out so quickly, not when a $50 pair of Vans lasts me 2+ years.
I do buy other Converse shoes to play basketball in.

Odd that when Converse went bankrupt and moved production overseas the price of the shoes went up. Went up again when Nike bought the company.
Curse those heavy consuming punk rock fans!!!

I own a pair of light blue Converse and I wear them all the time. I've been wearing mine practically every day for the last two years and they're still in pretty good shape.

Huh, I guess they must be really good shoes then... but I'll stick to my standard just rags-on-feet...

Okay, now you've all got me buying Converse! I bought some black and white ones like Wilt's yesterday and saw a few other designs I'd like so I'll probably end up getting them in the future. They really are comfy though, I'm wearing them right now! I think my old trainers are going to end up sulking in the corner of my room now.8D

Fair enough, but I have not had similar experiences with dozens of pairs of All-Stars.

Either way, I'll maintain that they simply are not worth $40.00, especially not now that they are made overseas.

Hay those are awesome! Normally I don't like stuff with holes or rips, but if there's plaid underneath... :) Converse rock. I wish I would have lived through the 80s. They had GLOW IN THE DARK ONES. :o Blargragarasnargle!


I wear mine all the time. They look like this: http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3.../Picture64.jpg except now there's beads on the laces and glitter glue on them. ;) I also have this ridiculous bright traffic cone orange pair of high tops. I can't wear those most of the time cause they make the rest of my outfit look dull. They are so bright it is mind-blowing. And of course I have a black pair... those are for people to sign and write how much they love me. XD

Hey, my second oldest brother, Mike, used to wear those shoes when he was a kid! (He's almost 30 now)

The "Ultimate" Comfort Test of Wilt Shoes
 

Have you worn them while Christmas shopping? ;)

Funny you should ask that! I wore mine today while shopping at the mall in Pineville, North Carolina, where there is a Hot Topic. I walked in there to see if they had the Foster's shirt with all the characters(they didn't-sold out), and was IMMEDIATELY "mobbed" by one of the employees, who was your typical "Goth" Hot Topic type-black hair, black lipstick, pierced eyebrows, all-black clothing, black nail polish-you get the picture. Looked a lot like me when I was in college and going through my "Punk" phase, really. Anyway, I had just walked in, had not said a WORD to anyone, and she spots me and starts squealing, "OH MY GOD! DONCHA just LOOOOVE WILT!!?" It was really weird, honestly-she KNEW that I was a Wilt fan just from the shoes, and KNEW that I'd come in that store to look for the t-shirt, and before I could even TELL her that, she said, "Oh, man...we like, had those shirts with Wilt and all the rest of the guys on it, but it like, sold out two days after we got 'em in...sorry!" We then spent the nest half-hour discussing Good Wilt Hunting until another customer needed help finding someing, and I realized how late it was and I still hadn't finished Christmas shopping.

I'm telling y'all, Converse and Cartoon Network are missing out on a HUGE merchandising bonanza here, by marketing those All-Stars with Wilt's picture on 'em!

pitbulllady

Lucky. If I knew the locations of any Hot Topics around here I'd try that, but odds are I'd just get the apathetic nose-ring-wearing teenagers that shun the watchers of cartoons... or something.

That's really cool! :D Sorry you didn't the the t-shirt you wanted.

I do agree there should be more Fosters merchanise gracing our stores! :-/

I love converse and swear by them. Not only are they really fooking comfy they are extreamly durable and washable. My kids have been wearing them since they were wee babes, yes cons make baby sizes. I had a couple pairs of the off-white the whole time I was working as a nursing assistant. The washable aspect came in real handy, I think you can guess why.


I use this picture as a PSA for the area where I live. These are my kid's feet and the poster it's on reads Walk for Sobriety.

http://myspace-450.vo.llnwd.net/0040...00395450_m.jpg

I love my Converses. Most comfortable shoe EVAH. :D
I got a pair of yellow ones about three years ago and I wear them all the time (as long as the weather doesn't require you to drive a snowmobile that is.)
They are quite well-worm and holey now, but I still sport them every chance I get :D

The Wilt connection is just a cool bonus! ;)

I actually have two pairs of shoes like Wilt's, except one is low top. I have a high-top red Chuck Taylor (and it's also my grandpa's name) Converse shoes and I also have low-top black Omega shoes, they look like Converse though.

I wear size 10. I got big feet!

Woah!:wiltshock: I think I wear a size 8 or 9.

My twelve-year-old brother wears a 13. ;)

yeah dude, 13 all the way. Hard to find 13 in European sizes, though. Hell, some companies don't make 13's at all.

i think thats size 40-something in the Mexican system.

how tall is your brother? I'm 6 foot so its normal to be a 13 i guess.

Well, I guess you can count me in. :D I scored a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor's this evening. I've been meaning to get a pair for some time, but I hardly go anywhere that would have them.

http://www.freewebs.com/chillygirl2/IM000247.JPG

I say these are awesome-riffic shoes. :D

Oooooh pretty! I've seen all kinds (including ones that are the color and texture of tennis balls), but not those.

I still have ye olde standby black ones for everyday wear. Yeah, I'm a boring kid, but they go with everything!

I have two pairs of OFFICIAL Converse and about a dozen ordinary sneakers.

I have a pair of Wilt like sneakers but they aren't real. They were Twelve Quid from a store at the local shopping centre (I like tyo call it Misery hell rather than Merry Hill...)

My Converse are a pair of green ones with the black flies printed on them, and a pair of Blue ones with red laces, not really that exciting...

Ah, mine are identical, except the blue is black and the yellow is pink... They look like this:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Soooooooooo comfy!

And I have tiny feet... I wear a size 4 in Converse. Go figure. And normally a size 6 1/2 in regular, non-unisex shoes...

-Marty :goo:

I still think that Converse is missing out on a HUGE marketing bonanza by not selling a high-top All-Star with Wilt's face inside the star inside the circle! I would be willing to bet that the reason these shoes are experiencing such a renaissance is due to a lot of folks wanting shoes just like Wilt has; a few years ago, about the only place you could find a pair of those shoes was at the Good Will store, and now shoe stores everywhere have 'em, in all sorts of colors, but the ones I still see being worn the most are the standard black-and-white high tops.

pitbulllady

You may be right, pbl. I wouldn't totally be surprised, if a large percentage of folks buying them are fans of Foster's.