Chuck Taylor's inspiration, men's realization

Charles Chuck Taylor

Charles "Chuck" Taylor is a basketball player born in June 1901. After playing for the Columbus High Bull Dogs, he played semi-pro for the Firestone Non-Skids until 1922 when he accepted a sales position at Converse. Chuck Taylor was then in his early twenties and found himself working for Converse, where he left his mark for life. It should be noted that at that time, the American label markets its All-Star sneakers since 1917. In only one year, Chuck Taylor will inspire a remodeling of the pair of basketball shoes, they will simply be named "Chuck Taylor", as the man behind the modifications of this pair. The American brand Converse will add Taylor's signature and the all-star patch on the side of the pair, to leave a trace of the athlete on its passage.

The chuck Taylor, from a sporty model to an iconic one

At that time, this pair of shoes was mainly dedicated to the practice of basketball, Taylor promotes it through this. He will, throughout the United States, organize basketball clinics to sell pairs of Chuck Taylor. They will be the official pairs of the U.S. Army during the Second World War.

It is at that time a reference when you want to buy sports shoes for any athletic activity. We will find the pair at the feet of the first great women's basketball team "The Edmonton grads", In 1936, the pair will even become, with a signature model, the pair of the Olympic Games for the United States! This model is white, the logo patch is black, and the lines are blue and red, in reference to the American flag.

In the 60s, Converse has almost a monopoly on the market of sports shoes, it holds 80% of the market share. The Chuck Taylor is now the shoe of the people, it is no longer reserved for athletes. The American brand will offer the low model, previously existing only in a high version. There are many colors, prints or inspirations to get out of the beaten path.

The result will be more than convincing in music, art, clothing, everyone wears Converses, the number of different editions will allow everyone to recognize himself in a pair, letting appear his personality.

A new breath for Converse

It was in the early 2000's that the scales began to shift. Even though the Chuck Taylor was still selling, many businesses were failing, and the results were stark. After many bankruptcy claims, Converse was bought by its rival, Nike, in 2003. The mythical American brand will outsource the production, thus reducing the production costs of Chucks.

Today, the Chuck Taylor is the most sold sneaker model, 30 000 pairs are sold per week, every year, new models are released, in limited editions as well as in less limited editions, it is everywhere, is sold everywhere and for any occasion, almost everyone has already owned a model of the Chuck Taylor.

Since 1949, the basic model of the pair has not changed, it is now a timeless, this pair is a reference for every person of any age. It goes everywhere, with any outfit, it knows how to dress you in the most classic way possible, but still remains in the air of time.

About the history of Converse :