Courtesy Claire Ramirez, 18, shows off a picture of her design that won the Punk Your Chucks contest.

Converse, purveyor of Chuck Taylors, a fashion must for all rockers, hipsters and basketball enthusiasts, announced the winner of its Punk Your Chucks contest. Participants created their design for the venerable shoe.

Eighteen-year-old Claire Ramirez, a freshman at Trinity University, was the winner. The winning design goes on sale nationwide in May. Ramirez, self-described as “horribly creative,” was a last-minute entry into the competition.

“I was at Journey's (shoe store) when the salesperson saw some shoes I had on. They were drawn on by me and my friends. When he saw them, he suggested I enter the contest,” Ramirez said. “There were thousands of entries. I doubted I would win.”

A month later Ramirez, received word that her design was the winner. The snapshot of her and her friends' feet apparently stood out from the competition.

“I couldn't think of what I wanted to put on the shoes, so I looked through my pictures. That is actually my favorite photo,” Ramirez said.

Her prizes include $1,000, 12 free pairs of Converse and a photo shoot with Teen Vogue magazine. However, the biggest satisfaction for Ramirez is that a portion of the proceeds from her shoe will benefit people in Africa. Converse has teamed up with Project (RED), which donates a percentage of the sales to the Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.

For now, Ramirez has to sit tight.

“I don't have a pair yet, and I hope they give me the first ones!”

Jenina E. Hernandez | 210SA