Converse closed its last U.S. manufacturing plant in 2001.
The closure came during a severe financial downturn for the company. Converse filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2001, after years of losing ground in performance basketball footwear and carrying substantial debt.
On March 30, 2001, the company’s remaining U.S. manufacturing plants closed, ending domestic production of its shoes. Manufacturing then moved fully overseas, following an industry-wide shift toward international production and lower-cost manufacturing networks. The event marked the end of an important chapter for a brand whose All Stars had long been associated with American-made footwear.
The year is sometimes mixed up with nearby corporate milestones. Converse entered bankruptcy in January 2001, and Footwear Acquisitions bought the brand in April of that year. Nike acquired Converse in 2003, but that was not the year U.S. production ended. The company continued selling All Stars after the plant closures; the shoes’ manufacturing location changed, while the familiar design remained central to the brand.