(Images provided by Terri Jarosinski a.k.a. Momdukes a.k.a. Ter-Rye a.k.a. Three Times If You Let Me!)

A couple of months ago, Converse invited me and several other shoe-related cats to experiment with and examine their Converse ONE initiative, an “ID” service that allows the consumer to invent their own color combinations and graft logos or personal memorandums onto their kicks. I decided to rework a pair of Converse Pro Leather ’76 Mids, the reissued version of the model Dr. J wore when he was running clinics in the 1970’s.

The design process is an easy-to-navigate ten or twelve step process. Simply pick your materials, c’way, and motto, click save as you go along, and you should be ready to roll with extra crispiness! For a technically challenged brother like me, the frank directions were comforting. Cons gets an A+ for configuration.

Where Converse One faltered, at least in my opinion, was the customization department. Hues were limited across the board, and the paneling options were outré. (For example, the system allows for the artist to choose from a series of different colors for the heel panel. Up front however, Cons only offered black and white as options to pick from, creating a mismatched scheme.) I wanted to create a royal blue/gold stripe version but couldn’t. I then hoped to churn out a chocolate brown/burnt orange pair in celebration of Thanksgiving, but was out o’ luck. Comparatively speaking, I’d liken C-One to an all you can eat buffet with a non-existent desert section or soft serve machine. (That’s why I couldn’t spring for a “Cheesecake” installment…) The main course area is still pretty darn good, and I was able to easily salvage what was given and design some pretty dope make-ups. My favorite creation was this white/athletic gold “Butter” pair! Quality is off the charts people!

To learn how you can create your Pro Leather ’76 (or an assortment of other Converse sneakers) please visit Converse.com!