Chuck Taylor: A basketball shoe or fashion sneaker?

Chuck Taylor: A Basketball Shoe or Fashion Sneaker?

Chuck Taylors (Chucks) are the most popular basketball shoes of all time. They are worn by every gender and age. They now come in every color, style and design imaginable, but they haven’t always.

Believe it or not, the Converse company was founded over one hundred years ago in 1908, when Marquis Mills Converse started the Converse Rubber Company. The company grew rapidly, and by 1910, was producing over 4,000 pairs of rain boots daily.

In 1917, the Converse canvas All Star High Tops were released. The shoes, made for basketball players, gained popularity when the basketball star Charles “Chuck” H. Taylor endorsed them in 1921. Chuck Taylor traveled across the country to sell the shoes. He was so successful in sales that Converse added his name to the ankle patch on the shoe, creating the nickname “Chuck Taylor”.

Basketball teams all over the country started sporting Chuck Taylors. They became so popular that Converse designed the off-white high-top model with red and blue patriotic stripes to be the official basketball shoe for the 1936 Olympics.

Charles Taylor served as a captain during WW2 and coached basketball teams for the troops. Chuck Taylor All Stars were worn by the teams. Later, the shoe became the official sneaker of the United States Armed Forces.

The shoes’ popularity did not end there. In 1949, a black Chuck Taylor All Star High Top was introduced. They became an instant classic and every pro basketball player and team across the country wore black Chuck Taylors. Sales soared, and the company’s revenues increased dramatically. Then, in 1957, a more casual alternative to the high top was introduced…the Low Cut All Stars.

In 1962, Converse made the Oxford Chuck Taylor All Star with different stitching. Four years later, Converse started offering additional colors. Seven colors were released to match basketball team uniforms. This was the beginning of colorful Converse.

Years later, in 1970, sneakers and athletic shoes became extremely popular outside of athletics. Chucks became popular with musicians, artists and young generations because of their fun colors, distinctive looks and comfort. Converse then began to make Chucks with different designs, textiles and fabrics and gained more attention because of it.

Chucks continued to evolve throughout the 80s and 90s. The classic black and off-white Converse were still popular, but some upgrades were made. In the 80s, people wore two-toned All Stars. The shoes were split down the middle with different colors on each side. At this time, people began to show their individuality by writing or drawing on their sneakers. Even with all the color and style choices available, the red High Top All Stars were the most popular in the 1990s. Today, Converse has added platform and even animal print Chuck Taylors to their lineup.

After more than a hundred years, the Chuck Taylor sneaker is still timeless, fashionable and incredibly popular today. In fact, according to chucksconnection.com, 60 percent of all Americans own or have owned at least one pair of Chuck Taylors. They are an American icon that are worn all over the world. Today, you can see Chuck Taylors in shops from the Champs-Élysées in Paris to Rodeo Drive in LA. Celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Vice President Kamala Harris are known for wearing them. Chucks are also seen everywhere in the halls of Central High.

“I have a lot of pairs of shoes, but I usually wear Converse,” said sophomore Maria Lopez, who has both the classic black and two pairs of white Converse said. Lopez is not the only student rocking Chuck Taylors at Central High.

“I have the white classic ones and red ones and I wear them with everything,” sophomore Brooklynne Costello said.

“I got my black, short grey, and purple from Flying Worm Vintage. I go there because they have cheap Converse and a lot of them,” sophomore Bobby Winton said.

Would Marquis Mills Converse ever have imagined in 1917 that his humble canvas high top Chuck Taylor would sell over one billion pairs since then?