*THIS PROJECT IS A WORK-IN-PROGRESS

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Converse All Star Classic trainers, also known as Chuck Taylors, are widely known as fashionable and timeless shoes that goes stylishly with any casual outfit. It is ubiquitous in social media due to its pocket friendly price and customizability with seemingly infinite colour combinations and materials to choose from.

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And in recent years we have seen a boom of collaboration between Converse and other prestigious brands, giving the Nike owned brand a unique advantage of being extremely desirable while being equally affordable.

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However this very Converse All Star has a fascinating double life. It is the most beloved shoes among power-lifters and strength athletes alike. It's flat and thin sole makes it ideal for heavy squats, bench press, and deadlifts. All activities that require maximum energy transfer between feet and the ground. Also the fact that the replacement shoes will always be available at their nearest shoe store is a very important for powerlifters, who are creatures of habit.

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But Converse is not perfect, there are areas in which a series of redesigns and improvements that can make the shoes even more perfect for the job.

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I have interviewed and studied many powerlifters who loves to use Converse All Stars in their lifting, and have redesigned a new Converse-for-Powerlifting special edition.

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Materials and aesthetics burrow greatly from a company called SBD, an apparel company which holds a dominant position in the world of powerlifting. Hence Converse x SBD collaboration.

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