You know them—the flat, rubber-soled, straight-laced basketball shoes that even after nearly 100 years we’ve all grown so close to as a fashion statement. Not only you and I, but Dwyane Wade, Kirk Hinrich, Jameer Nelson, Andre Miller, Kyle Korver, Alando Tucker, Acie Law IV, Udonis Haslem, Maurice Evans, Orien Greene and Mike Sweetney all know of them, too. Every one of those players come on the hardwood every night with their version of the Converse basketball shoe. While in the year 2008, Converse are still some of the most highly sought-after kicks, let’s throw it back 50 years or so, to the roots of Converse: Chuck Taylors, or Converse All-Stars.
Commonly most known in nearly every urban area as simply “Chucks,” these sneakers took off with the same hit popularity as they still hold today. Complimented by that signature Converse star on the side, this particular shoe has hit everyone, from day-to-day basketball superstars to high school retro fashion fanatics. Chucks were first offered in low-top, or “Oxford”, high-top, and later knee-high versions were produced. Materials such as leather, suede, vinyl, denim, and hemp were all incorporated into the design. There’s more to Chucks than just that retro look and popular demand, though, and none of it would have been possible if in 1921, Charles H. “Chuck” Taylor hadn’t walked into Converse complaining of sore feet. Taylor was hired as a salesman and ambassador and dedicated his life to promoting his All-Star sneaker until his death in 1969. Taylor made a strong push to press Converse out into the world of basketball, and the New York Rens, America’s first ever African American basketball team labeled Converse their signature sneaker.
Today, the Marquette Golden Eagles and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers still call Converse “their” shoe, even in a market dominated by Nike, Reebok, and Adidas.
Over the years, Converse has reached up much further than in influence in only basketball. As mentioned before, Chucks are wore by people everywhere as a sense of throwback fashion statement. In the 90’s, Converse All-Stars really hit the musical scene in the age of punk rock and grunge, pulling far away from their dominantly African American roots. Many musicians wore All-Stars on stage when performing for both comfort and fashion. By the turn of the 21st century, more than 750,000,000 pairs of Converse have been sold worldwide, and Converse has since expanded into more styles of their shoe, such as “The Weapon,” which sports a new age, on-court feel and look. In shoe stores worldwide, the shoe that came about in the 1920’s is still being manufactured and purchased heavily in the year of 2008. Converse, and most specifically the All-Star, “Chuck” style, has become a worldwide phenomenom.