CONVERSE Announces Product Collaborations With AC/DC And METALLICA

Converse launches its fall 2009 collection of collaborations with legendary rock and metal artists AC/DC and METALLICA. Iconic band graphics and visuals inspire this unique collection of Converse Chuck Taylor All Star shoe designs that celebrate two distinct bands that broke musical barriers and brought their inspired originality to music fans globally. With a rich musical heritage, Converse has collaborated with a wide range of groundbreaking artists and musical visionaries of the past, present and future.

AC/DC: In the '70s, when rock and roll was fading and needed a jolt of power, AC/DC surged onto the scene, showcasing a sound that disrupted the status-quo. In the age of stadium rock, stripped down, pure rock and roll was rare, and that basic form of rock combined with AC/DC's thunderous bass, wall-of-sound guitars and arresting vocals was unheard of. The fall 2009 AC/DC collection is inspired by albums and concert graphics, and is a showcase of a discography and visual history of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Chuck Taylor All Star shoes serve as the canvas for amazing designs each with subtle detail and sonic graphics and logos.

Chuck Taylor All Star shoes are the foundation of the collection. A monochromatic black version is a simple, cool tribute to the landmark album "Back in Black", complete with stitched band and album logos. Another model in ultra-premium leather includes "Back in Black" embossed on the upper, iced outsoles and a black band logo bumper on the shoe's sidewall. Graphics from "For Those About to Rock" and the iconic image of Angus and the words "Lock Up Your Daughters" are both a rocker's dream. The "Highway to Hell" album rounds out the AC/DC Chuck Taylor All Star collection with a super premium high-top with the band logo both on a side bumper and visible through its clean iced-outsole.

AC/DC Chuck Taylor All Star high top shoes are available in black, black/multi, red/white and black AC/DC print canvas versions. Shoes in this collection have a MSRP of $50 - $80 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in June.

METALLICA: Pioneers in the world of rock, METALLICA tore up the metal scene from the get-go in the 1980s, and brought it back down to earth with an aggressive sound and a style that was antithetical to the excesses of rock music at the time. Relentless, heavy and hard, the sound and style of METALLICA not only changed metal; it made them one of the most influential bands of all time. Converse's collaboration with METALLICA combines all of the speed and volume of the band, with the spirit of disruption and originality of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe.

High-tops serve as the perfect backdrop for some of the most classic graphics and logos in music history. "Ride the Lightning" album graphics look simple and clean with appliqué embossed patch graphics on the classic Chuck Taylor All Star sneaker. Subtle details like logo tongue patches and midsole graphics take the band's iconography a step beyond.

METALLICA Chuck Taylor All Star high top shoes are available in black/multi and white/black. Shoes in this collection have a MSRP of $50 and will be available nationwide at specialty retailers, department stores and online at www.converse.com beginning in July.