Daniel Johnston’s worried shoes

daniel-johnston-converse-shoe-inner-footAccording to a site called Monster Fresh, a fellow in Perth, Australia apparently found these Daniel Johnston Converse All Stars in a shop. They investigated it, and contacted Daniel’s brother, who now serves as his manager. Here, according to them, is his response.

“Yes, they paid Daniel for the deal, but then the project was dropped when executives canned it – they just weren’t familiar with Daniel according to our contact at Converse. There may have been a few made if someone bought a pair, as we saw artwork, etc., but it was never given distribution.

We actually have other offers from other shoe makers that if I just follow up on them, we’ll probably get a deal. There will be a bio-pic movie of Daniel in a few years, and if nothing else, at that point we’ll probably see something.”

So, if you’re ever wondering what the perfect gift would be for your favorite blogger, look no further. Seriously, if you have access to a stock of these, I wear size-tens. And I’d be eternally grateful… And how stupid for Converse, or their new owner – Nike, to kill these. These would have been brilliant. And they would have sold the hell out of them online.

[Thanks to Dan for making me aware of this.]

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10 Comments

  1. Knox
    Posted April 25, 2010 at 8:35 am | Permalink

    If this is a hoax, it’s extremely well done. They’re beautiful.

  2. Posted April 25, 2010 at 10:27 am | Permalink

    Followed this link back from the stats on my site (MonsterFresh.com). I’m the person who posted the original article and gathered the information being referenced.

    I understand the idea behind adding the phrase “according to” twice in the first paragraph, because, not only does it credit me with the find, but it also exercises caution in any “claims” or implications that you may be making in this post. Still, it’s fairly easy to cross reference this information at this point, and, based on the only comment before mine, this post may be giving off the impression that these shoes are a potential “hoax”.

    Daniel’s official websites have, in there own way, legitimized the story by providing links to the article, both on in the “PRESS” section of HiHowAreYou.com and on the front page of RejectedUnkown.com, where it still appears. You can also also find a hyperlink (http://monsterfresh.com/2008/04/25/songs-of-pain-daniel-johnston-interview/) within my post that will take you to the interview that, “according to” me, took place between me and Daniel, which includes his original statement to me about Converse working on a pair of shoes involving his art work.

    I hope that helps. You might also like to know that a pair of yellow low-tops were also manufactured. I do like the idea that, according to this post, according to me, Daniel’s brother gave us information according to their contact at Converse.

  3. Dan R
    Posted April 25, 2010 at 12:53 pm | Permalink

    And there are lyrics to “Worried Shoes” printed on the inside of the tongue!

    They were looking at the bottom line – I don’t think they would have sold that many shoes compared to sell-outs like, you know, Hello Kitty, The Clash, Debbie Harry, or the Ramones.
    http://www.converse.com/#/products/collections/music/113999F

  4. Peter Larson
    Posted April 25, 2010 at 4:07 pm | Permalink

    Honestly, I never understood what was so good about Daniel Johnston. It has made me a pariah amongst my associates.

  5. Tom Perkins
    Posted April 25, 2010 at 8:10 pm | Permalink

    Wow, Dead C. That’s the most obnoxious comment I’ve read in a while.

    Daniel Johnston is great. Not sure a conference room full of Nike execs would ever possibly agree.

  6. Posted April 25, 2010 at 8:36 pm | Permalink

    Dead C, I’m sorry if I pissed you off, but I generally don’t pass things like this around, claiming that they’re facts, if I haven’t checked them out myself. It’s not that I thought that you were making it up, it’s just that I don’t know you. And, as that’s the case, I may have only been about 90% certain that this was legit. So, as I always do, I covered my ass, just in case this was some kind of hoax, or, worse yet, a Converse viral marketing ploy. If I had more time, I would have called Daniel up and asked him. (I’ve got his number here somewhere.) But, instead, I just added a few “according to”s. Sorry it pissed you off. It really wasn’t anything personal. I’m sure you’re a great person… And, for what it’s worth, I really enjoyed your article. I wouldn’t have mentioned it and linked to it if I hadn’t.

  7. Peter Larson
    Posted April 26, 2010 at 7:14 am | Permalink

    Mark, remember when you asked me about doing music again? I just looked at Mr. C’s site and remembered why I stopped doing music.

  8. F'er
    Posted April 26, 2010 at 8:24 am | Permalink

    I’m going to start an internet hoax that these shoes preceded Daniel Johnston, and he just copied everything from them, making a lucrative career.

    Furthermore, I’m shocked to learn that there are douches in the music industry.

    I am further shocked that people hold Daniel in high regard due to his not “selling out”. Daniel would sell out in an instant if he could. He’s been trying for 20 years.

  9. Meta
    Posted April 26, 2010 at 1:40 pm | Permalink

    Daniel Johnston will be sharing a bill with the Stooges, and he wants to direct films:

    It was only recently that Spinner reported that cult singer Daniel Johnston is to be the subject of a new biopic with Philip Seymour Hoffman rumoured to play the troubled artist. Now it seems that Johnston himself is planning on sitting in the director’s chair to make his own cinematic autobiography….

    With Johnston scheduled to appear at next month’s Matt Groening-curated ATP Festival alongside the likes of Iggy and the Stooges and Spiritualized, the singer said he was confident that his condition is under control enough for him to venture into the world of film making.

    “I’d like to direct my own movies. I’m working on a film of my own and I want to direct it all myself,” he said.

    Read the rest here:
    http://www.spinner.com/2010/04/06/daniel-johnston-film-autobiography/

  10. Posted April 26, 2010 at 2:13 pm | Permalink

    Mark-

    Such is the nature of the internet; my intention didn’t come through well at all. Believe it or not, I actually wasn’t trying to be sarcastic about my understanding about why you posted it the way you did and actually appreciate it, because you ARE giving me credit and exercising caution. There is nothing more that I hate on the internet, than people taking stories/images (especially, with art) and never crediting anybody or verifying sources. You have done the exact opposite and made sure not to spread misinformation. My point was that, based on the comment before mine, it was becoming apparent that the absent of any official confirmation in your post may be creating a feeling of a potential hoax in some that were reading it, so I wanted to try and put an end to that and help confirm everything as “officially” as I could. That way, actual information was being given, instead of you unintentionally walking into another comment section full of “conspiracy” theories and possibilities, that are accidentally generated so often.

    My whole article was about going on the same mission myself. I wanted to verify what was happening with the shoes before posting anything on my own site, which is why I contacted both the owner of the images and Dan’s brother to do so. I often get people adding additional information in my comment sections which have helped me in the past and I wanted you to know that there are a few areas that you could look to right now that could easily confirm some things about these. As for calling Daniel, I’m sure that he had no idea what happened with these shoes. He doesn’t even use the internet.

    You didn’t “piss me off” at all and I don’t think it was personal, but I thank you for even concerning yourself with that. I think that, at this point, it’s more important for me to let you know that MY comment wasn’t personal, which is something that I would never do if I actually was intending to be snide or didn’t have any respect for you. The one thing that I could have done without putting in was the reference to the interview with Daniel by putting “according to” me in it. I was just having fun with that part. When i mentioned that Daniel’s sites have “legitimized” my story, I wasn’t exactly trying to say, “If you don’t believe, they say it’s true!”. What I was trying to say was that, they have helped to legitimize it for me on my end, as well, and that they seem to believe that it was what had occurred, so that we can pretty much confirm it at this point. I was hoping to help relieve that question for you as someone who posted from a place of authentic interest in the project, just as I had. When I said that I hope that the information had helped, I actually meant that.

    I recently saw an image of a Sean Hannity book placed in the feminine hygiene (aka: douche) section of a super market. The image was on the Huffington Post but mentioned that it was taken via Video Gum or something, which said that it was “via” some other site. It took me 6 or 7 links to trace it back to the original. Your post was a bit different and I thought that it was funny that you were in a position that forced you to reference my post, referencing Dick having to reference the Converse rep, because that is all that any of us really have to go on for now. That wasn’t an insult either, I actually do appreciate that Russian nesting doll aspect of the situation. That is the interesting thing about these; there is a bit of mystery in them that we are all trying to track, but I wanted to help refocus what I believe to be the real question about them, which is more about how many were produced and not if they were a “hoax” or not. I don’t think that your intention was to imply that they were a sham and believe that you were exercising caution, but I wanted to make that point for anyone that was receiving it that way. Hopefully, if you read my comment again, you will interpret the tone differently and more in the manner that I intended it.

    Also, if you scroll to the bottom of the link you will notice a comment by HHAY? author Don Goede who is interested in incorporating something about the shoes in the latest revision, further given this abandoned project a place in Johnston history.

    Here’s a link to an image of the yellow low-tops
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/48954503@N07/4535567125/

    Thanks for having some level of integrity, both in your original piece and in your response in the comment section. I can easily see how you may have thought that I was upset on some level and that I was trying to be an asshole. I am surprised that, even under that impression, you still addressed it with class.

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