The Legend: Chuck TaylorImage thanks to Charlie’s Sneaker Pages
2008 marks the 100-year anniversary for Converse. Over the next few weeks, I hope to explore how the timeless brand has dominated, explored, and innovated within the athletic footwear industry since it jumped off in 1908.
When Marquis M. Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, his factory focused on providing men, women, and children with winterized boots to help ward off the nasty Malden, Massachusetts weather. What started as a small operation, exponentially expanded, when, in 1917, Marq & Company dropped a canvas bomb on the world. This fabric assault came to be known as the Converse All Star—the first shoe dedicated to the ballplayers of the world. When All-American hooper Chuck Taylor rocked a pair of the All Stars in 1918, the brand had its first iconic ambassador.
The Iconic PatchImage thanks to Charlie’s Sneaker Pages
Throughout the ‘20s, Chucky barnstormed the country, teaching youngsters the nuances of our favorite sport; all the while, money was still finessing the same model. When Taylor decided to add his signature to the shoe All Star in 1923, I can only assume that children around the U.S. were hyped…I mean, their hero was so confident in the ‘Stars on-court performance, the man had signed them! Oooh wee!
While the growth of Converse can certainly be attributed in part to wonderful product, the company recognized that other races and genders played the game, too. Also in ’23, Converse customized shoes for the New York Renaissance—the first all African-American pro basketball team (Our man Claude over at Black Fives did an awesome job reissuing these!). In 1936, an all-women squad known as the All American Redheads wore Connie’s in their first games.
Image thanks to Charlie’s Sneaker Pages
The domination of the Chuck Taylor could be seen on clay, hardwood, and asphalt courts throughout the rest of the ‘30s and ‘40s. When basketball became an Olympic Sport in ’36, the American born gold medallists all wore Chuck Taylors. In 1939, NCAA tournament participants sported the canvas shoe. When the NBA was created, all of our finest wore the shoe to ball out—and of course, when Wilt equaled the century mark, he was wearing the model with, “the star on the side.”
Image thanks to Charlie’s Sneaker Pages
Fast forward to today: Chucks are still being worn all over the place. Perhaps you will not see the shoe on a court near you, but it certainly does not diminish the fact that the Chuck Taylor was the standard for hoops shoes for well over fifty years.
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:29 pm
James Martin says:
Thanks for the knowledge and the nod Jeremy
March 3rd, 2008 at 10:52 pm
elgallo23 aka 23edge says:
lol “wear good quality socks”… a lesson I learned the hard way, now I just buy a half size larger and wear insoles. I have always loved, and will always love these shoes. Worn by preps, gangsters, rockers, man kind alike, and me they are the shoes that cross all barriers. Here’s to another 100 yrs! Jeremy Ripley please post pics of the slight to none evolution of this shoe
March 3rd, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Jeremy Ripley says:
James- What’s your e-mail address? I want to make a Converse Century “Enthusiast” post, and you’re the type of person I have in mind. You’ve tirelessly brought Cons to the forefront with your blog, all while trying to publicly get teams to rock the brand on the court. If you’d be interested in answering a few questions, I’ll e-mail you over the next few days.
23edge-Yeah, the design hasn’t necessarily progressed much HAHA- Thanks for sharing Bob’s Jordan “Feet On the Street” post on Niketalk, we all appreciate it!
March 4th, 2008 at 12:05 am
elgallo23 aka 23edge says:
no problemo, I love what bounce mag stands for, and love to share the good word… just please share more pics of exclusive shoes
March 4th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Bakar says:
A good pair of socks definitely helps, especially one that’s pretty thick.. I owe many a peeling toe skin due to wearing el cheapo socks in old-school canvas joints.
March 4th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Bobbito Garcia a.k.a. Kool Bob Love says:
jeremy-
you’re my favorite non-staff guest blogger! yo, check your bouncemag.com email, though–sent you some stuff and haven’t heard back from ya.
and i have a great picture of a harlem kid running fulls in chucks . . . from summer 2007. believe it. i’ll have to dig it up.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:47 am
James Martin says:
Jeremy - you can reach me at ConverseNCAA@hotmail.com. I’d be glad to help you out, as you probably know, I could talk about Converse all day.
March 4th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Jeremy Ripley says:
Bob- Thanks for the love! I have to return it right back…you were willing to hook me up with this! Appreciate it brotha! I’d like to see that picture too…
James-I’ll e-mail you later this week or early next week with some questions.
Thanks.
March 4th, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Claude says:
Converse is doing their best to “Make History Now!” If you really think about that for them, it’s hard to do! How many products of today are still exactly the same as they were 100 or even 50 years ago? Even the basketball itself has changed!
March 7th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
chris says:
this man has got to be an ultra trillionaire now becaus of his shoes