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- BUSINESS, Page 53Business NotesSPORTING GOODSThese Shoes Have Legs
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- Cons. Connies. Chucks. High-tops. All Stars. By any name, the
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star basketball shoe is an American
- classic -- and still a hot seller. For sheer endurance, the
- simple canvas and vulcanized-rubber shoe (price: $32) now ranks
- up there with leather bomber jackets, Levi's and Coca-Cola. Last
- week Converse celebrated the 75th birthday of the All Star and
- launched an ad campaign that includes a battery of five-second
- TV spots.
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- Once the standard footwear of almost all self-respecting
- hoop sters, the All Star nowadays is less an athletic shoe than
- a fashion accessory. Teenage boys and girls practically live in
- them. Woody Allen has been known to wear the red version of the
- high-tops with formal wear. They have become an international
- icon as well; half the 10 million pairs of All Stars sold last
- year were exported. The All Star is the most popular sneaker in
- Japan, where Converse sold more than 1 million pairs last year.
- In France they are known as "Chuckie T's" and are considered
- very chic.
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