Adorning the feet of athletes, punks, nostalgic adults, andpeople with good taste everywhere, the Chuck Taylor All Star is anAmerican classic.
Since its inception in 1931, more than 600 million pairs havebeen sold worldwide.
Despite popular belief, Chucks were not invented by theireponym. Converse Rubber Company created the All Star when they sawa need for a shoe meant just for basketball.
The shoe acquired its new monicker when Charles H. "Chuck"Taylor approached the designers of the shoe with a few suggestions.Taylor suggested that the fabric be cut higher to make it strongeraround the ankle, making for a better shoe.
After helping with the redesign, Taylor traveled the country ina white Cadillac promoting Converse's All Star shoes and basketballitself. He was also appointed "Ambassador of Basketball" by theU.S. State Department, and was inducted into both the BasketballHall of Fame and the Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame.
Although known for his contributions to basketball, Taylor wasalso an avid golfer, and even marketed a Chuck Taylor All Star golfshoe.
By the late '60s, 98 percent of professional and academicbasketball players wore Chucks on the court. However, when Nike andother shoe companies entered the scene in the '80s, they introducedhi-tech innovations in basketball footwear, and all but pushedChucks off of the court.
In 2003, Nike purchased Converse for $305 million, causing astir in the counter-culture that had adopted the All Star as asymbol of rebellion. Production of the shoe was also movedoverseas.
That's not to say that the shoe is losing popularity. Althoughowned by Nike, Converse still markets products using their own nameand logos. Chuck Taylor All Stars are now available in a greatervariety of colors and styles than ever before.
Converse also recently released a reproduction of the All Starshoe that was issued to soldiers entering training camp duringWorld War II.
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