Converse Finally Goes Waterproof
The rain is drenching Darryl "Curtains"
Jackson. It's coming down in sheets from a machine overhead that's been
programmed to dump water droplets at the rate of 3.25 inches an hour.
"This is a nice, steady rain," he says, as drops fall from the ceiling
and drain into the grated floor below.
Curtains, Converse's apparel director, is standing in the middle of the rain tower, a silvery box inside the biophysics lab at the Maryland campus of Gore, the company that makes waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex fabrics. The tower is designed to simulate nasty weather of all kinds—slanted downpours, harsh winds, insistent drizzle—so Gore can test the efficacy of the materials it manufactures.
Even in this fabricated deluge, Curtains doesn't need an umbrella. Today, he's wearing a hooded black zip-up jacket and orange and green high-top sneakers. They're part of the Urban Utility collection, a new line of weatherproof mens shoes and outerwear Converse has produced in partnership with Gore. Urban Utility is Converse's first crack at truly technical products, and Curtains is putting them through the ringer. Ten minutes into the rain test, and the jacket and shoes are holding up. Curtains still isn't wet. "I feel like I'm walking on dry land," he says. Complete Article
Curtains, Converse's apparel director, is standing in the middle of the rain tower, a silvery box inside the biophysics lab at the Maryland campus of Gore, the company that makes waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex fabrics. The tower is designed to simulate nasty weather of all kinds—slanted downpours, harsh winds, insistent drizzle—so Gore can test the efficacy of the materials it manufactures.
Even in this fabricated deluge, Curtains doesn't need an umbrella. Today, he's wearing a hooded black zip-up jacket and orange and green high-top sneakers. They're part of the Urban Utility collection, a new line of weatherproof mens shoes and outerwear Converse has produced in partnership with Gore. Urban Utility is Converse's first crack at truly technical products, and Curtains is putting them through the ringer. Ten minutes into the rain test, and the jacket and shoes are holding up. Curtains still isn't wet. "I feel like I'm walking on dry land," he says. Complete Article
