The conception that sneakers are merely weekend-wear or athletic gear has long been dispelled. Take designer Jason Wu for instance, “On my feet, it’s Converse, always Converse. That’s my brand.” he explained, in an interview with the NY Times.  Responsible for the ivory silk gown First Lady Michelle Obama wore on Inauguration Night, the now-famous designer has been on the Today show, Good Morning America and CNN and showcased in numerous magazines and newspapers and in each of his interviews, Wu wears Converse. He serves as a testament to the brand’s popularity.

Shoestring Settee. Designed by Timonthy Liles.

Converse obviously has a loyal following – people enthralled by not just the sneaker, but also by the brand itself. Hence, Converse has ventured out into uncharted territory. Timothy Liles, a sneaker idea designer for Converse by day and an independent designer by night, worked with Converse to produce a one-off series: the Shoestring Setee. Thousands of feet of Converse shoelace wrap different chair forms to produce this “mummified” furniture. Having studied furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island, the chairs operate as the merger of his design interests. In 2006, in an interview with the Boston Globe, Liles said, “I’m enjoying making sneakers right now and see sneakers for a little while, but I want to make furniture very soon.”  The Shoestring Settee marks the start of just that.

His first sneaker, the Chuck Taylor All Star Notebook, created during his first week as an intern at Converse, was “a pretty big seller” and a topic in many teen magazines and sneaker blogs. His senior thesis for RISD caught the attention of Martha Stewart: the Well Design furniture series is a “social commentary about consumerism, as well as about health issues” in the designer’s own words. The Sanitary Chair was one of several works by RISD students shown at an exhibition of experimental furniture hosted by Martha in her New York offices, in conjunction with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. Most recently, at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair 2009 Liles debuted his Crayon Rings. Their name says it all: designed for both kids and adults, Crayon Rings promote coloring with your knuckles and wearing color on your hands. The designer is only in his mid-twenties and is already making a name for himself.  Fun and fashionable, the one-off series of Shoestring Settees marks his first (post-grad) venture into furniture design. For another awesome interpretation of the furniture that’s all wrapped up, also check out perennial 3rings favorite, Edra’s Mummy Chair designed by Peter Traag.