Written by Editorial on Jul 22, 2022
Chuck Taylor was in charge of improving the design. Photo: Shutterstock
An accident can result in the idea of a great business, that is the case of Marquis Mills Converse, who after falling down the stairs decided to create a shoe with a rubber sole and better grip to prevent it from falling again. Thus he created the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts.
At first it only made shoes for the winter season, but this tied their sales to the weather. So, to operate throughout the year, the company added a line of sports shoes in 1915. Three years later they launched the sneakers that would become an emblem of the brand, the Converse All-Stars.
The first models of the All-Stars were made in brown canvas with a black pattern on the sole. Later, in the 1920s, they went on to have a black canvas and leather version. Athletes began to use these shoes to train, but one day Charles “Chuck” Taylor, a basketball player, showed up at the Converse offices with a series of complaints.
Taylor was quite a personality in the world of basketball. He played for the Akron Firestones in the United States National Basketball League and was a heard voice among fans of the sport. Chuck used the All-Stars; nevertheless, they hurt his feetso he went to the company with several ideas to improve them.
Converse listened to his recommendations, hired him as a salesperson and ambassador
of the brand and became a true influencer of the All-Stars. His charisma was even such that these sneakers They became known as the Chuck Taylors. or just like Chucks. In 1932 the company included Taylor’s signature on the neck of this model.
Although Chuck was not the one in charge of founding the company, he did collaborate with the promotion of the company and his name was printed on the firm’s best-selling model. From sport to rock and the business world. From bankruptcy to millionaire figures. The All-Stars became an icon and their history began more than 100 years ago.
The favorites of athletes and rockstars
The brand’s canvas sneakers became the signature label of American basketball. They were the official footwear of the NBA and for more than three decades they shod the United States Olympic team. However, the appearance of other companies focused on sportswear, such as Puma, Nike, Adidas and Reebok, gradually eroded its leadership.
As his prominence in basketball diminished, his presence in music and cinema. For example, some of those who used his designs were Michael J. Fox, Axl Rose, Kurt Cobain and Rocky Balboa (played by Sylvester Stallone).
However, Converse’s sales began to decline and it finally declared bankruptcy in 2001. Soon it was taken over by Footwear Acquisitions and in mid-2003 Nike paid nearly $305 million to take over the brand. Today it continues within the company’s portfolio and in 2021 it exhibited sales of more than 2,000 million dollars.
CREDIT:
The Chronicler / Ripe
