Converse should have made history

History of Russian Costume, traditional dress
(And the part that converse shoes could have played)

"Homemade canvas and wool clothes decorated with embroidery or woven pattern have been used most often for traditional peasant costumes." So canvas shoes would have fit right in.

"The variety of colors for traditional costume displays love for beauty and ethnic diversity. These costumes are not only beautiful, there are also convenient in wearing because they were created for work as well." Likewise, converse shoes are used for both work and play. Not to mention the thousands of styles they come in.

"Festive clothes and everyday clothes, married woman's and young girl's clothes differed only for details, decoration, and color gamut. Until the 17th century it was only outside trimmings that differed from nobles' costumes to the peasants' ones; general cut and style were all the same." Not only do kids these days wear converse for slumming around and for style, but even our modern-day nobles sport the canvas shoes.

"Embroidery came in different ornaments (rhombuses, crosses, herring-bones, stylized patterns of people and animals) performed in naturally painted threads. Red, blue, green, white, yellow - the color gamut was rich and various." Not only do chucks come in so many different prints - you can specialize your own pair even - but they even still embroider them, too.

So after all that, just imagine these people:

in our shoes:

And you'll realize that it probably makes a lot more sense than whatever they wore on their feet.