From basketball courts to the red carpet: The journey of Converse’s Chuck Taylor All Star shoes
Sneakers are not only a favourite of the youngsters. Some brands of these footwear have been a big hit among celebrities too. Take Chuck Taylor All Star shoes by the Converse Rubber Shoe Company for example. Originally conceived as a basketball shoe, they made their way to the wardrobes of top celebrities including former US First Lady Michelle Obama, American singer-songwriter Jordin Sparks and actress Sarah Jessica Parker. These shoes have been worn by them at different occasions including the red carpet. In fact, US vice-president Kamala Harris has also been spotted sporting these sneakers during her campaigns and other occasions. The success story of these shoes with signature utilitarian design and sleek lines is no less than fascinating.
The inception
It was 1908 when a 47-year-old American man named Marquis Mills Converse decided to leave the footwear company he was working for. He wanted to have his own business. So, he founded his new company the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts. and started producing rubber-soled winter shoes for men, women, and children. However, within a few years, the firm had ventured into the athletic footwear market. It introduced its first pair of basketball shoes, the Converse All Star, in 1917. However, the man behind its success, Charles ‘Chuck’ H Taylor, was yet to make his entry.
Enter Chuck Taylor
Charles H. Taylor was an American professional basketball player for the Akron Firestones, an American professional basketball team. He had developed a strong liking for Converse All Stars, and joined the company in 1921 as an ambassador and salesman. Subsequently, he served as a player and coach for Converse All Stars, the company’s basketball team in the industrial league. Taylor, a charismatic young entrepreneur, played a key role in fine-tuning the shoe’s design to taking its performance in the court up by quite a few notches. With his penchant for networking and in-depth knowledge about the basketball industry, he took the shoes all around America and promoted them. . As a tribute Taylor’s efforts, Converse renamed it after him in 1932 as Chuck Taylor All Star, and added his signature to the shoe. In 1936, Taylor designed the official shoe of Team USA for the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin where they grabbed the gold medal.
Peak of popularity
Taylor’s iconic design was also used for the official training shoes of the United States military during World War II. Converse reached the zenith of popularity between the 1940s and the 1960s becoming the most chosen brand for any athletic activity. During this time, Converse is believed to have controlled 80% of the US sneaker market. The famous black and white Chuck Taylor All Star came into being in 1949 followed by another, named Oxford Chuck in 1957.
Nike takes control
Towards the end of the 1960s, Converse lost its hold in the sports shoe market with rising competition from new brands. The decline probably sped up with the death of Chuck Taylor in 1968. In the 1970s, the sports footwear industry saw the rise of brands such as Adidas and Puma. A decade later Reebok and Nike came into the picture as the business of Converse continued to struggled. This resulted in many bankruptcy claims. Nike saved it by purchasing Converse for $305 million in 2003. But how did Nike revitalise the company? They cleverly outsourced the production of Converse to overseas countries, where most Nike goods are made. As a result, Converse’s earnings increased while the production expenses were reduced! Today, Converse sneakers, which vary in price from 2000 to 5000 rupees, are the preferred footwear for all sporting activities, from gym classes to competitive powerlifting.
Converse’s Chuck Taylor designs continue to be a favourite! In 2017, the Chuck Taylor Low Top sneakers were the second best-selling sneaker in the United States. But what makes them so popular? Affordability and comfort.