--- title: "Converse’s New Combat-Style Kicks Cost $150, But They’re Still Cheaper Than Enlisting" description: "Ah, Chuck Taylors: You know Converse’s venerable go-to footwear. Once a basketball-court staple, they’ve long since become the province of hipsters, those angsty adolescents (and men in their 30s) who curse the corporate machine as they watch beard-grooming videos and…" date: "2017-12-27" modified: "2017-12-27" authors: - name: "James Clark" job_title: "Editor-in-Chief" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/james-clark/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/tech-tactics/new-combat-boot-style-converse/" categories: - "Analysis" - "News" - "Tactics" - "Tech & Tactics" --- # Converse’s New Combat-Style Kicks Cost $150, But They’re Still Cheaper Than Enlisting ![]() Ah, Chuck Taylors: You know Converse’s venerable go-to footwear. Once a basketball-court staple, they’ve long since become the province of hipsters, those angsty adolescents (and men in their 30s) who curse the corporate machine as they watch beard-grooming videos and do squats in skinny jeans to stretch out the inseam. But Converse may be eyeballing a new cohort of consumers who I’ll call “vetsters” — a growing demographic of military veterans who dig the whiskey-from-a-mason-jar-drink’n chill of those hipsters, but can’t part with their cargo pants and combat boots. Is that you? Then you’ll love the sorta mil-spec but still trendy [Chuck 70 Utility Hiker]() in olive drab: Screenshot via Nike ![]() This new $150 pair of kicks was engineered for durability and, of course, *tacticool* style by the Massachusetts-based Nike subsidiary — which, as Military.com [points out](), made footwear for combat troops during World War II. [According to]() the company website, the shoes come with bonded Gore-Tex seams for waterproofing; elastic material so they fit comfortably; military-inspired “textiles” for durability; a high-top fit so they’re more boot than sneaker; and reflective panels for visibility — because after forking over a bill-and-a-half, you’ll *want* people to look. Related: Urban Outfitters Rolls Out Central Issue Facility Fall Catalog » Though while these may look like combat boots, sprinting along a trail or stepping gingerly over rugged terrain wasn’t what they were made for. The shoes are part of a new “Urban Utility Collection” that also includes a men’s [Gore-Tex jacket](), yours for only (cough) $400: Screenshot via Nike ![]() If you prefer olive drab over woodland or desert MARPAT, maybe that kind of scratch sounds like a deal, I guess. For everyone else: Try a pawn shop or surplus store near the base. While sure to ruffle some lifers’ feathers, the military look, is hardly a new development in the fashion industry, this year or in [any other](). Earlier in 2017, Urban Outfitters launched its own take on the buffalo jacket — a go-to winter coat for troops — for its Central Issue Facility Fall catalog; Marine Dress Blue-inspired jackets have also made their way onto the racks at Banana Republic. And this is hardly the first time that a Nike brand has unveiled a mil-themed set of kicks. Just search “[combat boot]()” on the company website and you’ll see what I mean. Screenshot via Nike ![]() Whatever you think about big brands leveraging military service to boost the bottom line, “*almost* a combat boot” isn’t the same as being a combat boot. There are some things a big brand can’t mimic — like that tangy aroma of foot cheese and medicated Gold Bond powder that wafts out of a pair of well-worn and moon-dust caked mil-issued boots. That said, $150 is a lot cheaper than a four-year enlistment. **WATCH NEXT:** ## Author James Clark is the editor-in-chief of Task & Purpose. He is a former Marine and a veteran of the War in Afghanistan. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [LinkedIn]()