Often imitated, never duplicated. Both old school, and new school, Converse has manufactured one of the single most recognizable shoes in the world. Founded in 1908, over 100 years ago, Converse was front and center for many of the NBA's greatest generations. As competition grew from the 70's onward, they slowly lost their market dominance, and in 2003, they sold their company to Nike for a cool 300 hundred million. Some of their most popular shoes continue to resurface throughout this decade, including “The Weapon”, which has been re-released on multiple occasions.