An All-American Shoe History

Shoes, athletic wear, basketball, Chucks ?when you put all these words together, they seem to be synonymous with one brand of footwear only: Converse. Since that fateful date in 1921 when basketball player Charles “Chuck” Taylor walked into the newly-built shoe company called the Converse Rubber Shoe Company ?the all-star American brand or Chucks have become an overnight sensation.

Converse shoes were worn not just by basketball players ?but by kids who are playing on the street and by grown men as part of their street wear. The designs have eventually expanded to cater to women, teens and children. It seems as if no matter where you look out in the street, there’s someone who is wearing a pair of the all-American classic brand of shoes which is Converse.

A Quick Look at the History of Converse Shoes

To give you an idea about the long-winded yet rich history of Converse shoes, here are a few notable key dates:

– 1908

Marquis M. Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company or the Boston Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts.

-1910

From initially providing winterized, rubber-soled footwear for their customers, the company has expanded to manufacturing thousands of shoes on a daily basis.

-1917

The Converse All-Start basketball shoe was introduced.

-1923

Charles “Chuck” Taylor, a basketball player, worked as a salesman and ambassador for the company. The signature All-Star patch design was given a ‘twist’ when his signature was added to the design ?and Chuck Taylors became an overnight sensation all across the world.

– 1970’s

After the war, it was during this decade that competing brands like Adidas, Nike and Reebok entered the market.  Converse was no longer considered to be the official footwear of the National Basketball Association.

 – July 9, 2003

It was on this date that Converse was purchased by Nike.

What’s So Special about Converse Shoes, Anyway?

Now that you have an idea about the brief history of Converse shoes, what makes the brand so special, anyway?  As mentioned earlier, the name has developed into an all-American brand since its introduction in the market way back in 1908.

Another thing which makes Converse shoes special is its ability to transcend all types of markets ?athletes, children, women, men of every imaginable profession ?all of them can be seen wearing a pair of classic Converse shoes.

More importantly, the quality, comfort and versatility that Converse shoes have been known for remains up to this day.

Source by rubber sole