Update, Sep. 15, 2024: In a TikTok message exchange with The Daily Dot, Carroll shared his experience with Converse shoes and the use of felt material on the outsole.
“I have three pairs. Two I got at Ross Dress for Less that had felt, and one pair from a different shoe outlet that had some felt, but not as much,” Carroll wrote. “The picture in my video is from one of my own pairs. I’ve noticed that the more expensive models, and the ones with thicker soles—some of those don’t have felt.”
The TikTok creator added that some commenters from outside the U.S. pointed out their Converse never had felt on the outsole, which he found interesting.
When asked whether Converse has responded to his video, Carroll said they have yet to reach out to him.
“I suppose I would just like some clarity. I’ve had a number of people, like hairdressers and dog groomers, say the felt makes it slipperier and catches everything in it,” he wrote. “Transparency for the consumer would go a long way.”
Additionally, Carroll stated that he’s planning on filming a longer follow-up video on the topic, possibly including Converse’s response and analyzing which countries around the world experience the same issue.
Have you ever bought a brand new pair of iconic Chuck Taylor Converse shoes and flipped them around to discover a felt material on the out-sole? One TikTok user says there’s a reason for that—and it’s all about profit.
TikTok creator Scott J. Carroll (@let_me_ask_you_this), who uses his platform to share random facts about the world, said the Converse Chuck Tylor high top “is technically a slipper.”
“Let me ask you this,” he begins with his signature opening line. “Why do Converse have felt on the bottom of their shoes?”
According to Carroll, the material used “has to do with taxes and tariffs.”
What do Converse have to do with taxes and tariffs?
“Converse imports their shoes from China,” Carroll explains. “And whenever you have to import something, you have to pay a tariff on it.”
Defining the import tariff as “the tax of getting [goods] from one point to another,” Carroll notes the fee for shoes and sneakers imported from China to the U.S. “can be over 37%.”
This is where, as the TikToker puts it, “Converse got clever.”
“They figured out that if they put felt on the bottom of their shoes and as long as the sole is at least 50% felt,” Carroll remarks. “Then it will technically count as a slipper.”
Slippers, according to Carroll have a much lower import tariff, specifically “as low as 3% and as high as 25%.”
The TikToker then claims Converse explained on their website that the felt “helps maintain the shape, stay grippy, and quiet your footsteps.”
“Yeah right,” the TikToker concludes.
Carroll’s video has garnered over 638,500 views at the time of writing.
Are Carroll’s claims correct?
Patent blog Gazetc supported this claim in a 2010 post, which can be accessed only through this archived link.
In the post, the author claims he found a patent number printed inside of his Converse All Stars, namely patent 6,430,844, which is described as “an outsole for a shoe, especially a house slipper” on Google Patents.
The blog called the practice by Converse “tariff engineering,” which is a method companies use to reduce tariffs by altering products.
Carroll’s claims about sneaker import tariffs versus slipper tariffs are somewhat correct, but not entirely, as tariffs vary based on specific materials used, as shown in this blog post. However, slipper tariffs are generally much lower than sneaker tariffs.
As for Converse addressing the use of felt on their shoes, as Carroll claimed, that doesn’t appear to have happened.
The Daily Dot could not find any information on the material or the patent mentioned being used in their footwear. We’ve reached out to the shoe brand for more information.
Commenters share their frustration
In the comments, some users are appalled at the discovery, while others aren’t surprised and express dislike for the brand.
“And yet they are still charging $80+,” wrote one user.
“I slipped so hard in Converse once,” shared another. “Because of the felt.”
“I noticed the Converse you find in Ross always had this felt,” noted a third. “But the Converse from the higher end stores like Journeys did not.”
@let_me_ask_you_this #let #me #ask #you #this #trivia #question #fun #facts #fact #Converse #all #star #Chuck #Taylor #felt #tarrif #taxes #import #slippers #converseallstar ♬ original sound – ScottJCarroll
The Daily Dot reached out to Scott J. Carroll (@let_me_ask_you_this) via TikTok comment and messaging, and to Converse via email.
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