The boys both have at least one pair too. Theirs are the boot version (Chuck Taylor hi-tops), whereas mine are the shoe variety (Ox lace). The two boys have recently become as obsessed as me with their cons, ever since they spotted Doctor Who wearing a pair (David Tennant's Doctor rather than Matt Smith). Since then, they have spotted Mr Maker in a pair, Sid from CBeebies and Dracula's daughter Mavis in Hotel Transylvannia, to name but a few!
My love for my cons grew recently when I discovered they can be machine-washed to come out looking like new! My first two pairs (green and red) were looking decidedly shabby, and I feared I would have to retire them off. But then I stumbled upon a pin on Pinterest (of course!) about how to clean Converse and similar canvas shoes. So I gave it a try, thinking I had nothing to lose if they came out totally unwearable.
Method:
1. Remove the laces and soak in bleach or detergent (depending on dirty they are!) and then wash with your whites on a fairly hot wash.
2. Wipe any mud from the rubber trim of the shoes and wash on a cool wash (I did mine at 30 degrees) with some towels. Don't use the spin cycle.
3. When washed, leave to dry outside or somewhere warm (I put mine on the aga, where they dried really quickly.)
The original pinner said to make a paste with bicarbonate or soda to scrub the white rubber trim before washing, but I didn't do this and they came out looking brand spanking new anyway!
Husband has always been very anti-Converse. He doesn't mind the rest of his family wearing them, but he point-blank refused to get any himself. Until recently! I convinced him to try on a pair of mine (sadly, we have the same size feet - mine are very large for a woman and his are pretty small for a man!), and he could not believe how comfortable they were!! He has now said that he would wear a pair if he were to receive some for his birthday. So, the search is on for a green pair of Chuck Taylors for his 40th birthday next week!
Love this post! & excellent revamping tips.
ReplyDeleteI definitely share your love of Converse, they are things of great beauty. I have yellow & turquoise pairs at the moment. One of my big worries is that there will come a point when I am too old to decently wear them. My plan is then to brainwash the children into them (but not before they have learnt to tie their own laces!).
We'll never be too old to wear converse! We'll be cool old grannies still wearing our coloured cons!
Delete