Chuck Taylor All-StarsThe Converse Rubber Company was founded in 1908 by Marquis M. Converse, in Massachusetts, United States. Initially, the company only made galoshes and seasonal shoes. Around 1915 the company decided to make athletic shoes so they could have continual production all year around. As basketball grew in its popularity, the company developed a shoe specific to the sport in 1917 which became popular in the late 1910s. By 1918, around 20,000 shoes were being manufactured by Converse per day.
That same year, 1918, a high school basketball star, Chuck Taylor, began wearing Converse's basketball-specific shoe and in 1921, was hired as a representative and salesperson by Converse. In the 1930s his signature was added to the shoe, though he was never paid any royalties or commissions for the use of his name. The 1920s and 1930s versions were similar to the modern "high top" version, with the notable exception being the lace hole strip running closer to the toe, covering the toe cap. In the 1940s a similar design was manufactured for issue to army trainees.
By the 1950s, the design had been altered to incorporate elements of the exposed toe cap of Converse's football shoe design. By 1955, several young entertainers began wearing the Chuck Taylor all star design. In 1962, a "low cut" version was introduced, which was also used for basketball. Except for the addition of colours, the high top design remained relatively unchanged through the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 the "one star" model was released and became a popular skateboarding shoe into the 1980s, as with blue Vans.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Converse faced considerable competition from other shoe manufacturers and began developing aesthetically-oriented models, though the Chuck Taylor's All Star model continued to remain relatively unchanged. New colour ranges were released for the All Star in the 1980s. By the 1990s, Converse was losing sales to Nike, who dominated the market during the decade, and by 2001, Converse filed for bankruptcy protection and was acquired by a group of investors who moved production from North America to Asia.
The All Star model line continued its popularity and became a sales staple, which saw Converse's profits triple from 2001 to 2002. In 2003, Nike acquired Converse, thus the rights to the All Stars model, for $305 million. By the late 2000s, the exploitation of the continued underground popularity of vintage aesthetics by the commercial fashion industry proved to be highly profitable and the Chuck Taylor's All Star model and its variants, remain a profitable product within the industry today. Many copies of the All Stars design, including some by large, well-known shoe manufactures, also achieve high sales.
That same year, 1918, a high school basketball star, Chuck Taylor, began wearing Converse's basketball-specific shoe and in 1921, was hired as a representative and salesperson by Converse. In the 1930s his signature was added to the shoe, though he was never paid any royalties or commissions for the use of his name. The 1920s and 1930s versions were similar to the modern "high top" version, with the notable exception being the lace hole strip running closer to the toe, covering the toe cap. In the 1940s a similar design was manufactured for issue to army trainees.
By the 1950s, the design had been altered to incorporate elements of the exposed toe cap of Converse's football shoe design. By 1955, several young entertainers began wearing the Chuck Taylor all star design. In 1962, a "low cut" version was introduced, which was also used for basketball. Except for the addition of colours, the high top design remained relatively unchanged through the 1960s and 1970s. In 1974 the "one star" model was released and became a popular skateboarding shoe into the 1980s, as with blue Vans.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Converse faced considerable competition from other shoe manufacturers and began developing aesthetically-oriented models, though the Chuck Taylor's All Star model continued to remain relatively unchanged. New colour ranges were released for the All Star in the 1980s. By the 1990s, Converse was losing sales to Nike, who dominated the market during the decade, and by 2001, Converse filed for bankruptcy protection and was acquired by a group of investors who moved production from North America to Asia.
The All Star model line continued its popularity and became a sales staple, which saw Converse's profits triple from 2001 to 2002. In 2003, Nike acquired Converse, thus the rights to the All Stars model, for $305 million. By the late 2000s, the exploitation of the continued underground popularity of vintage aesthetics by the commercial fashion industry proved to be highly profitable and the Chuck Taylor's All Star model and its variants, remain a profitable product within the industry today. Many copies of the All Stars design, including some by large, well-known shoe manufactures, also achieve high sales.