My Old Chuck Taylors

I got to thinking about my 20 year old Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars recently.  That’s right, these were purchased in Mankato, MN in 1989 while visiting my friend Michael’s hometown one weekend during my first year of college.   They have been a trusty companion all these years and logged a lot of miles.  My wife, myself and my daughter all wore our Chuck Taylors to the latest rainy and muddy All Points West Music Festival in Jersey City.  This photo was taken in front of The Black Keys stage.

I am not one to wear shorts with LL Bean duck boots or wellies and we both figured we would just throw them into the wash later anyways.  So we slopped through the mud and muck with nary a thought.  When all was said and done they came out a lighter shade of black than they used to be but I was fine with that.

Most of us have owned a few pairs.  I think I have owned 4 pairs over the years.  My first pair came from Sears in the Goldsmith’s Shopping Center in Memphis, TN.  I was in 2nd grade and saw these gold canvas shoes with a blue star and remember thinking how cool they were.  They even beat out the red, white and blue Bruce Jenner tennis shoes that were also there.  That day I am sure I also got a few pairs of Sears Toughskins and some football jerseys.  As you can see below, I tend to get good use out of my purchases.

The history of the Converse Rubber Co. (also known as the Boston Rubber Shoe Company) is pretty interesting and if it wasn’t for Chuck Taylor, a sales rep that came on in the early 20’s, the company would be nowhere near it is today.  With 800 Million pairs sold it is clearly heads above the rest.   Formed in 1908 in Malden MA by Marquis Mills Converse, his first offerings were winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children and soon after also made tires.  A few years later they started making tennis shoes then finally in 1917 they started manufacturing the canvas All-Star basketball shoe.  In 1921 Chuck Taylor was hired to do sales but ended up being integral in the development of the canvas basketball shoe.  Not only did he suggest fabricating the shoe differently for greater flexibility and support, he’s the one who came up with the idea of stitching on a circular patch to protect the ankle.

The All-Star logo went on the patch immediately, and by 1923, Chuck Taylor’s name was on the patch as the shoe became the “Chuck Taylor All-Star.”

Chuck Taylor, a basketball player himself, would take his shoes on the road and introduce scores of Americans to the sport, do clinics with the shoes and pitch them to teams and stores.  Sales soared and the Chuck Taylor All-Star became standard issue on pro, collegiate and high school courts nationwide.  Oddly enough, Chuck, who catapulted Converse to epic heights never made a dime on his shoes aside from his salary.

During WWII, Taylor became a fitness consultant for the war effort, and soon GI’s were doing their drills in the olive or black high-top Chuck Taylor’s that became the official sneaker of the US Armed Forces.  During the war Converse also produced parkas, rubber protective suits, ponchos for pilots and troops and the A6 Flying Boot, which the entire U.S. Army Air Corps wore.

In 1947 white high-tops originated for the 1948 Olympics.

By 1950 virtually all pro players are wearing Chuck Taylor All Stars.   Hollywood also helped the wildly popular Chuck Taylor All-Star (a.k.a. “Chucks”, “Cons”, “Connies”) transcend the sport to become deeply entrenched in popular American culture, like Levi’s and Coca~Cola.

The 60’s and 70’s saw Converse producing new athletic performance footwear, apparel and accessories for basketball, tennis, football, track, wrestling and other sports.  In 1962 Converse developed the low cut version of its All Star, called an “oxford,” which soon became the shoe of choice for pro players.  By the time the mid 70’s rolled around the company was using more leather on their basketball shoes and Dr. J put his stamp on the Pro Leather series.

That’s where I will cut it off.  One sad note – in 2003 Nike bought Converse and the era of the 2 ply cotton canvas upper ended.