Topping off two stories we’ve reported on previously (1. The recent proliferation of band-branded sneakers 2. Doc Martens’ use of dead rock icons in a British ad campaign), comes the news that Converse will soon issue Kurt Cobain-licensed sneakers, the first branded products his estate has approved since his death in 1994. The company will issue Kurt-inspired varieties of three of their popular shoes: Chuck Taylors, Jack Purcells and One Stars, each adorned with Kurt’s drawings and lyrics. The shoes will be made available in both black and white and will retail for around $50 to $65.

But all of this poses the question: Why finally sell the rights to Kurt’s lyrics (which Courtney presides over as opposed to Nirvana, which the other members also have a say in) to a major corporate brand? Why now after preserving Kurt’s legacy for so long? Well, money obviously. Smells like green spirit. At least Converse was a brand Kurt was actually fond of and not a car company or soft drink maker. We’re guessing he would bristle at the thought of his lyrics adorning shoes — or at least adorning them via a factory in Asia rather than the self-scrawled type he likely wrote on his own shoes and notebooks as a teen. Also, is it just us, or is it at all creepy that in one of his most famous photos — the one from his death scene — he is wearing one of these soon-to-be-produced sneaker varieties?

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