Chuck Taylor and the rise of Converse
From the Archives
Chuck Taylor sneakers, also known as Converse All Stars, have cemented their place as iconic fashion across generations. But how did they become so popular? The following is a short story of their history.
You can say the historical record started in 1908 when 47-year-old Marquis Mills Converse, a well-groomed and lifelong respected manager, started his own company, Converse Shoes. The company began by making rubber-soled shoes for winter. Then, in 1915, Converse sneakers were introduced for tennis players, and in 1917, the company introduced the All-Star basketball shoe.
During this time, a basketball player at Columbus High in Indiana named Chuck Taylor fell in love with the All-Star basketball shoe. Chuck was a skinny kid with a prominent nose and insightful eyes. By most accounts, he was a good basketball player. Some even say Chuck was a star who played on professional and semi-pro teams. Off the court, Chuck was likable and understood basketball players’ footwear needs. And he was also a gifted salesman who knew how to pitch himself and his ideas. In 1921, Converse hired Chuck after he arrived unannounced at their Chicago office.
With his drive and passion, Chuck convinced Converse to introduce the Chuck Taylor sneaker in 1922. And with that drive and passion, Chuck made it the shoe to wear for basketball players. In 1936, the sneakers became the official shoe for the United States basketball team in the Olympics.
Then, during World War II, Chuck became a physical training adviser for the United States military. Before long, service members were actively participating in calisthenics routines clad in Chuck Taylor sneakers, which had been designated as the official footwear of the United States Armed Forces.
In the 1950s, sneakers extended beyond sportswear and became the norm for daily wear. Much of this was the result of James Dean and his love for the Jack Purcells, a sneaker designed by a former world badminton champion (and later acquired by Converse). The Jack Purcells were similar to Chuck Taylor’s but appealed to a different segment of society. These sneakers were prominent in the rebellious rock culture of the time, broadening the overall appeal of sneakers.
Stories such as the rise of sneakers as a cultural norm are a reminder of the famous wisdom that “All dreams begin with a dreamer.” Chuck Taylor wasn’t the only reason sneakers became popular, but he was certainly a catalyst to usher in the change. As a result, more than 600 million pairs of Chuck Taylors have been sold.
Sources:
Chuck Taylor advertisement published in American Legion Weekly magazine, vol. 2, no. 1 (Jan. 2, 1920), pg. 29 - Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Converse-Non-Skids-ad-200102.jpg
Nelson, Murry. Journal of Sport History, vol. 34, no. 2, 2007, pp. 295–97. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43610021. Accessed 21 Dec. 2023.
My older brother used to wear hightop Chuck Taylor Converses when he was a kid. He loved them. Me, little sister, wore my classic white Keds. I still love them today.
This story should have been entitled “Greed and the Fall of Converse”. Production in the Malden, MA factory ended years ago. Like so many iconic products, Converse is simply capitalizing on its fabled past to sell highly-profitable Chinese products.