I don't know about the States, or Australia, or Eastern Europe, or wherever our peoples are, but here in the UK, Converse are the must- have fashion item. I can't wait til they go out of fashion, though, 'cuz everyone thinks you're following the trend, and being a sheep. I wear what I wear cuz I like it; fashion is, well, annoying!
Converse wearers often annoy me because they assume that they are being anti-capitlist in their footwear (or ones I know anyway) but converse are owned by Nike. I liked them before they were taken over by Nike but now less so. I mean personally I'm crap and wear Nike, but I think Converse trainers are kind of a statement about being the type of person who doesn't wear Nike and it's sad that it doesn't work anymore.