Retail Price: $160
Reservation Fee Collected Today: $80
Estimated Shipment: August 2026
An Archival Restoration
In 1955, long before sneaker culture became an industry, Hood Rubber was already shaping it.
The Conference was Hood’s dedicated basketball model at a pivotal moment in American sport — when footwear was shifting from heavy industrial rubber shoes to lighter, purpose-built court designs. It marked a turning point in performance construction.
This edition is not a redesign.
It is a faithful restoration.
Recreated from one of the few surviving original pairs, the 1955 Hood Conference has been rebuilt to match the original proportions, materials, and construction methods as closely as possible. The silhouette, toe shape, foxing height, and tread geometry remain true to the archival reference.
At its foundation is Hood’s tire-tread–inspired outsole — first introduced in 1933 — a design innovation that predates and influenced generations of athletic footwear that followed.
The Conference ’55 returns exactly as it was intended.
Details
• archival reproduction of hood’s 1955 basketball model
• period-correct proportions and pattern grading
• canvas upper with reinforced toe and heel
• vulcanized rubber sole construction
• tire-tread outsole (introduced 1933)
• original two 1955 factory colorways: black / white
• unisex sizing
Laces
The Conference originally shipped in 1955 with cotton laces.
Surviving examples from the period often show leather laces substituted in their place — a practical modification made over time.
Each pair comes with both cotton laces (consistent with original factory specification) and leather laces reproduced from the only surviving 1955 Conference preserved in Hood’s archive.
The leather laces are modeled directly from that archival specimen.
Reservation & Production
The Conference ’55 is produced in a single made-to-order production window.
Each pair is manufactured specifically for the customer who reserves it. Production begins after the reservation window closes.
Retail Price: $160
Reservation Deposit: $80 (applied toward final balance)
Remaining Balance: Collected prior to shipment
Reservation Window Closes: April 1
Estimated Shipment: mid to late July
By placing a reservation, you authorize production of a pair made specifically for you.
Sizing (Unisex)
Sizes are listed in Men’s US sizing, with Women’s US equivalents shown for reference.
Women should select two sizes down from their usual Women’s US size.
Example: Women’s US 12 → Men’s US 10
The Conference ’55 follows original 1950s proportions, with a structured, traditional toe shape and a more precise fit than most modern sneakers. If you are between sizes, sizing up is generally recommended.
Size selections are final once production begins.
Available Sizes
Men’s 4.5 / Women’s 6.5
Men’s 5 / Women’s 7
Men’s 5.5 / Women’s 7.5
Men’s 6 / Women’s 8
Men’s 6.5 / Women’s 8.5
Men’s 7 / Women’s 9
Men’s 7.5 / Women’s 9.5
Men’s 8 / Women’s 10
Men’s 8.5 / Women’s 10.5
Men’s 9 / Women’s 11
Men’s 9.5 / Women’s 11.5
Men’s 10 / Women’s 12
Men’s 10.5 / Women’s 12.5
Men’s 11 / Women’s 13
Men’s 12 / Women’s 14
Men’s 13 / Women’s 14.5
Only the sizes listed above are available for this batch.
Retail Price: $160
Reservation Fee Collected Today: $80
Estimated Shipment: August 2026
An Archival Restoration
In 1955, long before sneaker culture became an industry, Hood Rubber was already shaping it.
The Conference was Hood’s dedicated basketball model at a pivotal moment in American sport — when footwear was shifting from heavy industrial rubber shoes to lighter, purpose-built court designs. It marked a turning point in performance construction.
This edition is not a redesign.
It is a faithful restoration.
Recreated from one of the few surviving original pairs, the 1955 Hood Conference has been rebuilt to match the original proportions, materials, and construction methods as closely as possible. The silhouette, toe shape, foxing height, and tread geometry remain true to the archival reference.
At its foundation is Hood’s tire-tread–inspired outsole — first introduced in 1933 — a design innovation that predates and influenced generations of athletic footwear that followed.
The Conference ’55 returns exactly as it was intended.
Details
• archival reproduction of hood’s 1955 basketball model
• period-correct proportions and pattern grading
• canvas upper with reinforced toe and heel
• vulcanized rubber sole construction
• tire-tread outsole (introduced 1933)
• original two 1955 factory colorways: black / white
• unisex sizing
Laces
The Conference originally shipped in 1955 with cotton laces.
Surviving examples from the period often show leather laces substituted in their place — a practical modification made over time.
Each pair comes with both cotton laces (consistent with original factory specification) and leather laces reproduced from the only surviving 1955 Conference preserved in Hood’s archive.
The leather laces are modeled directly from that archival specimen.
Reservation & Production
The Conference ’55 is produced in a single made-to-order production window.
Each pair is manufactured specifically for the customer who reserves it. Production begins after the reservation window closes.
Retail Price: $160
Reservation Deposit: $80 (applied toward final balance)
Remaining Balance: Collected prior to shipment
Reservation Window Closes: April 1
Estimated Shipment: mid to late July
By placing a reservation, you authorize production of a pair made specifically for you.
Sizing (Unisex)
Sizes are listed in Men’s US sizing, with Women’s US equivalents shown for reference.
Women should select two sizes down from their usual Women’s US size.
Example: Women’s US 12 → Men’s US 10
The Conference ’55 follows original 1950s proportions, with a structured, traditional toe shape and a more precise fit than most modern sneakers. If you are between sizes, sizing up is generally recommended.
Size selections are final once production begins.
Available Sizes
Men’s 4.5 / Women’s 6.5
Men’s 5 / Women’s 7
Men’s 5.5 / Women’s 7.5
Men’s 6 / Women’s 8
Men’s 6.5 / Women’s 8.5
Men’s 7 / Women’s 9
Men’s 7.5 / Women’s 9.5
Men’s 8 / Women’s 10
Men’s 8.5 / Women’s 10.5
Men’s 9 / Women’s 11
Men’s 9.5 / Women’s 11.5
Men’s 10 / Women’s 12
Men’s 10.5 / Women’s 12.5
Men’s 11 / Women’s 13
Men’s 12 / Women’s 14
Men’s 13 / Women’s 14.5
Only the sizes listed above are available for this batch.
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