When it comes to basketball footwear, few will argue that the most groundbreaking signature line ever is the Air Jordan legacy collection. It set new standards in terms of technology and marketing, creating a sneaker frenzy that still lives on today. As innovative as it was, the Air Jordan line's influence may be overshadowed by that of the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star. Historically, the Chuck Taylor All-Star is the best selling basketball sneaker of all time. The All-Star takes its name from the man responsible for its fruition, Charles Hollis "Chuck" Taylor.
Chuck Taylor was born on June 24, 1901 in Azalia, Indiana. In 1917, he wore the All-Star as a member of his high school basketball team, but felt that the shoe's design could be improved upon. Four years later, Taylor visited Converse's office in Chicago in search of employment. He wound up as a salesmen and player for the Converse All-Star basketball team.
In the following years, Taylor took it upon himself to improve the All-Star model, tweaking it to be better suited for the game of basketball. His ideas were to make the canvas-and-rubber sneaker more flexible and supportive. For protection, the now-iconic "All-Star" patches were added to the ankles of the sneaker, complete with Taylor's signature.
The rest is quite literally history. The Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star phenomenon spread like an epidemic, quickly becoming the go-to shoe for basketball players of the era. Over time, it has also developed into an iconic sartorial staple, popular amongst everyone from hardcore punk rockers to hip-hop aficionados. A study has shown that at least 60% of US citizens will own a pair of Chucks at some point in their life, illustrating just how prevalent the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star has become,
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