All Star Style: The Iconic History of Converse Shoes
Curious how Converse's Chuck Taylor All Stars came to be such an iconic shoe? Read on to learn everything about the history of Converse.
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Is there any more iconic shoe than Chuck Taylor's Converse? Whether in the high top or low top style, Converse sneakers have been a staple of footwear for decades and don't appear to be going anywhere any time soon. They look great with so many different styles and clothes and changed the footwear world forever when they broke onto the scene over 100 years ago.
If you've ever wondered what the history of Converse shoes is, and how the brand became the household name it is today, read on.
A Sporty Start
The Converse brand, started way back in 1908 by company Marquis Mills of Malden Massachusetts, was originally meant to be a sports shoe specifically for basketball. Its galvanized rubber sole gave it a good grip, and so they deemed it the "No-Skid". Much like today, the shoe came in both canvas and leather, but it wasn't exactly as stylish as today's Converse are.
The shoe was renamed the "All-Star" about 15 years later as a marketing tactic to try and get more athletes to buy them. It must have worked, because it wasn't long before basketball player and coach Chuck Taylor picked them up and popularized them in basketball courts around the world.
Chuck Taylor Steps In
Chuck Taylor was an interesting choice for the Converse company. He first came into the company to complain about how their shoes made his feet hurt. Their response was to hire him and make him an ambassador and salesman.
Chuck Taylor's name quickly became a staple part of every Converse shoe patch. They started putting his name on the shoes in 1932, and continue to do so today, long past his death in 1969. Taylor was highly responsible for popularizing the shoe, which was worn by most NBA players by the 1940s.
Making a Legacy
Converse shoes proved very successful. They made custom shoes for the first all-black basketball team, the New York Renaissance, and in 1962 basketball player Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game while sporting the shoes. If those aren't achievements to be proud of, then what is?
War, Post-War & Bankruptcy
The war started in 1941, and with it, Converse made some changes. They took a break from making All-Star shoes and instead made shoes for the army until the war ended. Talk about patriots.
Converse got right back into the action and became extremely popular in the 50s and 60s. In the 70s, however, competition became fierce. Companies like Nike and Adidas started coming out with popular new designs, and lost their status as "official shoes of the NBA". Nowadays, most NBA players wear Adidas shoes.
The shoes remained a popular casual footwear choice in the 80s, but their popularity had taken a significant drop. In 2001 the company filed for bankruptcy.
Saved from the Abyss
Only three months after filing for bankruptcy, company Footwear Acquisitions took them out of it and hooked them up with some industry big times. Two years after that Nike bought the company for $300-million and expanded them into other products than shoes, while also introducing crossovers and new styles of Converse beyond the All-Star.
Converse Become Casual
They may have been made for basketball players, but Converse are hardly worn by basketball players these days. Now they're one of the most popular casual footwear brands out there, coming in a variety of styles, colors and patterns.
Converse are loved for their simplicity and versatility. There are converse for men and converse for women, with many celebrities like Kirsten Stewart, Millie Bobbie Brown, and Emma Roberts sporting them regularly. Remember, celebrities are used to sporting goods worth multiple thousands of dollars, so to see them in something like Converse shoes is pretty reassuring that they're great shoes.
Recently, Converse has decided to try breaking back into the basketball shoe game with their All-Star Pro BB shoe. It uses Nike's basketball shoe technology with the classic All-Star look, and the shoes are worn by player Kell Oubre Jr. Whether they catch on or not remains to be seen.
Special Editions Galore
Converse has experimented with special editions and different makes of their shoes since back in the 80s. In 1986 they release "The Weapon", a much thicker and more heavily padded leather shoe. the shoe didn't last long but makes occasional reappearances on the market with the last time being 2009.
The company frequently collaborates with bands, comic companies, and other properties to make limited edition All-Star patterns. Popular bands that have worked with Converse include Pink Floyd, The Clash, Miley Cyrus, and Metallica. Other properties include DC Comics, Dr. Seuss, and Nintendo for Super Mario designs.
There are Converse shoes out there for everyone, and with incredible collaborations like that it's no wonder, they remain a popular choice today.
They're Punk, Man
Converse shoes really took hold in the punk scene, and remain a popular choice among musicians and music enthusiasts to this day. They became especially associated with punk band The Ramones, who wore them on-stage. Since then punk rockers around the world have found comfort in the soles of Converse.
While Converse doesn't specifically make their shoes with the punk scene in mind, they've recently leaned into their influence thereby opening Rubber Tracks, a recording studio based in Brooklyn. The studio offers free recording time to bands who apply and make it through the application process.
The History of Converse Continues
Converse shoes remain a popular choice for casual footwear and fashion choices alike today. Bankruptcy is far in their rearview mirror and hopefully remains that way for another 100 years to come as the history of Converse continues.
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