The “Shoes are Boring. Wear Sneakers” campaign from Converse illustrates how there are two different ways of living in this world – as a “shoe” person or as a “sneaker” person. Shoes are safe, predictable, and content with conformity. Sneakers take risks, venture out into the world, and make interesting things happen. Sneakers live without reservation or restraint. They are never boring.

“Shoes are Boring. Wear Sneakers” launched globally in the Spring of 2012 with executions appearing in magazines, billboards, buses, subways, wild postings, and online banners. The campaign was also showcased at Converse sponsored music festivals and in Converse retail stores.

As the campaign gained notoriety, the “Converse Global Education Initiative” was introduced on YouTube with a series of humorous “How To” videos showing you the “sneaker” way of doing things. In 2013, the anthem spot for “Shoes are Boring. Wear Sneakers” began running on television and in cinemas across the globe.

Locations where the campaign has run include New York, Los Angeles, Sao Paolo, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Peru, Chile, London, Paris, Barcelona, Mexico, Mumbai, Panama, Barbados, South Africa, Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, Beijing, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Since the launch of the campaign, the Converse Facebook fan base has grown by 5 million people to 35.9 million (as of March 2013). Also since the launch, Converse sales have gone up globally by 12%, helping parent company Nike Inc. report a 9% increase in revenue to $6.2 billion.