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Chuck Taylor All Stars

Chuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market. Chuck Taylor, a basketball player and shoe salesman for Converse, improved the shoe's design and became the product's spokesperson in the 1920s.

History

Converse Rubber Shoe Company was started by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts. In 1917, the company designed a shoe called the All Star. The shoe was composed of a rubber sole and canvas upper and was designed to be an elite shoe for the professional basketball league. In 1921, a basketball player by the name of Charles “Chuck” Taylor joined a basketball team sponsored by the Converse Company called The Converse All Stars. Taylor held basketball clinics in high schools all over the county and while teaching the fundamentals of the game, he sold the All Star shoes. As a salesman and athlete for the company, Taylor also made improvements to the shoe he loved. His ideas for the shoe were designed to provide enhanced flexibility and support and also incorporated a patch to protect the ankle.(See Chuck Taylor) All Stars were soon worn by a variety of professional basketball players and became the envy of all aspiring basketball players. Soon after, All Stars were being worn by athletes in the Olympics and during World War II, American soldiers began to wear All Stars while in training. In the 1960’s Converse began to expand their company and open more factories and by that time, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars were being worn by 90 percent of professional and college basketball players. As the years went on, the shoe gained more popularity and became a favorite for numerous groups and subcultures.

Design

In 1923, after Chuck Taylor made improvements to the shoe, Converse decided to incorporate his name onto the ankle patch that displayed the Converse All Star logo. Then, in the 1930’s Taylor’s signature was put into the design, which is how the shoe became known as the “Chuck Taylor” All Star. When first created, the Converse All Star had three main styles - a monochromatic look with the black canvas upper and black rubber soles, a white canvas upper and rubber with blue and red trim, and an all-black leather and rubber shoe. It wasn’t until after World War II when Converse decided to make the toe guard, laces and outer wraps white, which gave the appearance of the iconic black and white Converse All Stars of today. In the 1957, Converse came out with the low-cut “Oxford” version on the All Star and soon after started to produce the shoes in multiple colors. Today, Converse makes the Chuck Taylor All Star in a variety of colors, styles, prints and fabrics.

Controversy

In 2003, Nike bought Converse for around $305 million. While Converse dominated the U.S. sneaker market from the 1920’s until the 1970’s, it began to struggle due to competition and lack of funds. In the years following, Converse filed bankruptcy multiple times and fell into further debt and eventually sold to Nike. Chuck Taylor All Stars as well as Converse's other shoes began to be manufactured in foreign countries like China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Longtime Converse fans were against the change and some even stopped wearing the shoes. Nike’s manufacturing took place in Asia and many people took a stand against the sweatshop manufacturing of the shoes. Many also feared that Nike would change the look and status of All Stars and over commercialize the shoes. A group named Adbusters started selling a knock-off shoe called the Black Spot, which covered up the logos of Converse with a black spot. Nike has not changed the look or advertisement of Converse since the buy in 2003 but controversy over Nike’s ties to Converse still exist.

In Popular Culture

Throughout the years, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars made a shift from athletic sportswear to casual footwear. Originally an elite basketball shoe, the Chuck Taylor All Star evolved into the shoe of choice for many subcultures. The shoes were popular among many groups throughout the decades including greasers, athletes, punks, grunge rockers, alternative rockers, surfers, rappers and skaters.

Notable celebrities who've worn Chuck Taylor All Stars:

• James Dean

• Elvis Presley

• John Travolta’s character, Danny Zuko, in Grease

• John Lennon and other members of The Beatles

• Members of the punk band the Ramones

• Memebers of the punk band the Sex Pistols

• Sylvester Stallone's character, Rocky Balboa, in Rocky

• Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones

• Rock singer and guitarist Joan Jett

• Nirvana's lead singer Kurt Cobain

Today, Chuck Taylor All Stars are worn by countless people from all cultures and styles and the shoe continues to be an iconic style marker.