The classic Converse look is timeless and wearable with any outfit you can put together. Photo by Mitchell Lensink on Unsplash.
By Daniel Diaz, Staff Reporter
Welcome to the Hall of Kicks, a blog covering famous basketball shoes both current and from the past. For many, basketball is not the first thought that comes to mind when you think of Chuck Taylor’s. Some may think of an old worn-out pair used every day in their youth or the timelessness the shoe has. The truth is, before Nike, Adidas, or any other company began dominating the basketball world, it was all about the Chucks.
No one these days is playing basketball in a pair of low-top Chuck Taylor’s without fear of severely hurting your ankles, but if you look back at pictures, videos and even commercials of players pre-Jordan, it’s filled with players like Bill Russell and Larry Bird rocking a pair of Converses.
Comparing a pair of Converse shoes to a pair of current LeBron shoes is unfair. The basketball shoes of today are broken down to a science, made to optimize a player’s comfort and mobility in a way that the best shoes from decades ago could not compare. Yet, the impact Converse had on the game of basketball will last forever.
The relationship between Converse, Chuck Taylor and basketball began when Taylor, a basketball player himself, went into the Converse office in 1921 and insisted on a shoe specifically made for playing basketball. In 1932, Converse added Taylor’s name to the design and made him the new ambassador for the shoe. It soon became the highest selling basketball shoe in history and turned Taylor’s name into a brand.
While other companies like Nike and Jordan have taken over the shoe landscape, Converse has added multiple player signings to their company in recent years, like Kelly Oubre and Draymond Green. Converse was bought by Nike in 2003, a win-win deal where Converse’s relevancy is helped thanks to Nike’s pull in the industry, and Nike is helped with profit and business with many people still buying Chucks to this day.
The classic Converse look is extremely simple, and much like a pair of Vans can go with any outfit you choose to wear. They have numerous colors, styles, and designs depending on if you need a pair for leisure, athletics and anything in between. One of the most famous of the current Converse athletic shoe lines in the basketball world is the Converse All-Star Pro BB’s worn by Kelly Oubre.
The Converse shoe will always be tied to the beginnings of one of the greatest sports leagues the world has ever seen. The NBA and Converse gained relevance together. From Chuck Taylor himself to Bill Russell, to current players like Draymond Green, Converse is a brand that has been around for over a century and it looks like it will continue to stick around for the foreseeable future.
