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retrophile remembers...
"Chucks" are my all time favorite sneakers. I think that after an atomic war of global destruction the only things ...  More »
Posted on 02/05/09

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Lyndsay, Gibbs, Angela and I with our customised Chuck Taylors
Posted by PsycadelicShack on 12/16/06

Manufacturer:

Converse

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External Links:

Official Website
Wikipedia Article

Trivia:

During WWII, all soldiers were equipped with Chuck Taylor All-Stars in basic training.

The idea was simple: canvas with a rubber sole.  Or is it rubber soul?  Ahh, The Beatles!  While they were one of the most successful bands of all time, Converse’s Chuck Taylors have gone on to become one of the most successful shoe lines of all time, leaving one unforgettable footprint on pop culture. 

The story for Converse began around a century ago, in Massachusetts when the Converse Rubber Shoe Company was created by Marquis M. Converse in 1908.  They manufactured winterized rubber shoes for men, women and kids.  Converse’s star shoe, the All Star would come just nine years later, when in Converse decided to take on the growing sports market.  They came up with a shoe with a rubber sole, canvas that came up to the ankles – perfect for tennis!  All-Star high school basketball player, Chuck Taylor came in one fine day with sore feet.  Before long, Taylor would never be caught playing ball without his All-Stars, and so a legend was born. 

After graduation, Chuck Taylor went to work for Converse, becoming one of the company’s greatest sales people, as well as working to perfect the shoe that would bear his name.  Chuck went on tour with his famous shoes, and before they picked up massive popularity in gymnasiums around the country.  Taylor talked with coaches and players, convincing them of the quality of the All-Star. 

The earliest of All-Stars gave the wearer two choices: black or white.  By the mid-60s, after teams started demanding new colors to match their uniforms, new colors started popping up, and in 1970 there was even a suede version – the One Star.  Chucks, as they’re commonly referred to as, reigned supreme as the premiere basketball shoe until other athletic shoe manufacturers began to muscle their way into the market during the 1970s. 

Just when it seemed as though they might be forgotten, new interest in the classic shoe came in the form of endorsements from Dr. J and Larry Bird in the 1980s.  Not only that, but they started to have a fan base that wasn’t interested in dribbling balls or making three-pointers.  1980s child idol Punky Brewster wore two-toned high-tops on her feet creating an entirely new trend of mixed up colors and customization within the Converse universe.  However, with the introduction of Air Jordans and its stamp of approval from the one-and-only Michael Jordan, it seemed that again all would be lost for the no-frills All-Stars.  In more recent years, Converse has made a comeback as a throwback to the days of simplicity, classic style and traditional comfort.  

The low-key Converse line never again caught on with the sports world, but its longevity and continued popularity with the fashion-minded have helped the All-Star become a clear winner when it comes down to the numbers.  At the turn of the millennium, Converse sold its 600,000,000,000^th   (that’s a lot of zeroes!) shoe and the numbers show no sign of slowing for the high-topper.  All these years down the road, it seems as though Converse has success all laced up.

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