Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars (also referred to as " Converse ", " Chuck Taylors ", " Chucks ", " Cons ", and " All Stars ") are casual shoe models first developed and manufactured at the beginning of the 20th century by Converse (a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. since 2003).
The Chuck Taylor All-Star design has remained unchanged since its introduction. These shoes consist of a stitched top, a foot hat usually made of white rubber, and a sole usually made of brown rubber. Although Chuck Taylors are made of various materials such as leather, the original and best known versions of these shoes are made of canvas cotton. The innovative details of the original shoes are "loose linings" of soft canvas. It's meant to move along with sweaty sports socks and prevent blisters.
The upgraded model, Chuck Taylor II , was announced by the company's management in July 2015. Combining Nike technology, retaining its original outer appearance while using modern lightweight materials for insole.
Video Chuck Taylor All-Stars
History
Converse Rubber Shoe Company was founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 in Malden, Massachusetts. In 1917, the company designed the modern All Star predecessor, marketed under the name "Non-Skids." The shoes consist of a rubber sole and an upper canvas and are designed to be high performance athletic shoes for basketball players.
In 1923, American basketballist Charles "Chuck" Taylor joined a basketball team sponsored by Converse Company called The Converse All Stars. Taylor held a basketball clinic in high school across the country and while teaching the basics of the game, he sold All Star shoes. As a salesman and athlete for the company, Taylor also made improvements to the shoes he liked. His ideas for the shoe were designed to provide better flexibility and support and also install patches to protect the ankles.
Various professional basketball players soon put on the All Stars and they became the envy of all aspiring basketball players. Soon after, the All Stars were worn by athletes at the Olympics, and during World War II American soldiers started wearing All Stars while practicing.
In 1960, Converse began to expand their company and open more factories and by that time, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars was being worn by ninety percent professional basketball players and colleges. As the years passed, the boots gained more popularity and became favorites for many groups and subcultures.
For years, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars made the transition from athletic sports to casual shoes. Initially elite basketball shoes, Chuck Taylor All Star evolved into the shoe of choice for many subcultures, especially artists and musicians.
Tree Rollins is considered the last player to wear the Converse All Stars canvas in the NBA, during the 1979-1980 season. Micheal Ray Richardson had put on Converse All Stars skin with the New Jersey Nets after 1982, making him the last to wear shoes in the NBA. However, his teammate Mickey Johnson, who last wore the All Stars in the NBA, when he played for the Nets in the 1985-1986 season (not specified at this time whether they are leather or canvas).
Nike acquisition
In 2003, Nike bought the Converse brand name for about $ 305 million. While Converse dominated the US sneakers market from the 1920s through the 1970s, it began to struggle due to competition and lack of funds. In the following years, Converse filed several bankruptcies and fell into debt further and eventually sold to Nike. Chuck Taylor All Stars and other Converse shoes move manufacturing from the US to countries such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Claim
Beginning in July 2008, Converse tries to send about 180 correspondence letters and breaks up to more than 30 other companies that Converse says violates the Chuck Taylor All Star trademark and sells knock off look-alike sneakers.
In October 2014, Converse filed a lawsuit against 30 companies for allegedly violating bumper toe sneaker style, striped midsole and toe cap. The brand is of the opinion that the company violated the common-law trademark by importing "knockoff" sneakers with similar elements. A number of companies settled with Converse and they were dropped from the list.
In November 2015, Charles Bullock, chief administrative judge at the International Trade Commission, had earlier ruled that some of the Converse brands submitted violated the Converse outsole design trademark, the pattern at the bottom of the sole of the shoe. Judge Bullock further decided that while the Skechers "Twinkle Toes" brand did have similarities with Converse, "Twinkle Toes" was quite different and was marketed in a way that was not mistaken for Chuck Taylor All-Stars. [19] Judge Bullock also ruled that most of the shoes sold by Highline United under the Ash brand are not infringing and that Converse has no valid legal marks for its midsole.
On June 23, 2016, incidentally, the 47th anniversary of the death of Chuck Taylor, the International Trade Commission decides that Converse's trade dress for the midsole design of a combined foot cap, toe bumper, and line is not entitled to trademark protection under common law and found an invalid federal Converse trademark registration. The case is currently filing an appeal to the US Court of Appeal for Federal Circuitry.
Maps Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Design
In 1923, after Chuck Taylor made improvements to his shoes, Converse decided to put his name into an ankle patch that featured the Converse All Star logo. Then, in the 1930s, Taylor's signature was incorporated into the design, that is how the shoe was known as "Chuck Taylor" All Star. When first made, Converse All Star has three main styles - monochromatic boots with black canvas and black rubber soles, all white shoes with blue and red trim, and all blacks and sneakers. New in 1949 Converse decided to make protective toes, shoelaces and white outer, which gives the impression Converse All Stars are black and white today. In 1957, Converse came out with a Low-cut version of "Oxford" from All Star and soon after starting to produce shoes in various colors and prints. Today, Converse makes Chuck Taylor All Star in a variety of colors, styles, prints, and fabrics.
While high-cut shoes show ankle patch icon All Star logo, the heels of shoes (high and low) also include logo, which is attached and read: ALL? STAR. The low-cut does not feature ankle patches; However, they have a stitched tag on the tongue that has the same logo with the heel. By 2013, the logo has slightly changed on the heels and tongue. It contains the word "CONVERSE", besides ALL? STAR. The ankle bot of high-cut shoes is unchanged.
In early 2013, Converse launched Chuck Taylor All Star '70, featuring a build similar to All Stars used for basketball built in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This retro model is different from the existing Chuck Taylor All Stars because of the many changes that have happened to All Star shoes for three decades. The '70 model features thick canvas, midsole rubber and higher foxes, thicker pads, smaller leg coverings, an extra material sewn on the sidewall behind the foot cover for reinforcement, one piece of bottom rubber versus three one- the only one in the modern All Stars, and black versus white heel patch on the modern All Star.
Chuck II
On July 28, 2015, Converse released Chuck Taylor All Star II. These shoes are different from the standard All Star standard in several ways:
- Tencel's thicker canvas;
- higher midsole rubber and similar fox in size to All Star '70, but using lighter rubber;
- newer Lunarlon pads;
- a slightly smaller footprint;
- two elastic bands at the base of the tongue, to avoid slipping sideways;
- ankle patches sewn on high peaks;
- two-piece basic rubbers versus three single pieces on the modern All Stars;
- patch heels with 3D letters versus flat letters on the modern All Star.
A few months after the release of Chuck II, several special series were released with different canvas textures, such as Chuck II Knit, Chuck II Shield Canvas and Chuck II Rio Open Knit, to celebrate the Rio Games.
One year after its release, Chuck II was considered a commercial failure, with retailers reporting poor sales.
Converse Modern
In June 2017, Converse announced a series of new shoes to be released in the United States, designed by Hiroshu Fujiwara, Tinker Hatfield, and Mark Parker. Both hi-top and low-top range are planned, with the initial colors being silver, royal blue, red, green, and black. The luxe range on white or black patent leather is also planned, for casual business attire. This shoe follows Chuck Taylor's classic design but displays the following improvements:
- Knitted round top, with a futuristic shiny finishing.
- A soft foam rubber sole similar to Air Jordans.
- Neoprene tongue.
- TPU toecap.
Socio-cultural impact
Although Chuck Taylor All-Stars vanished from the professional basketball scene entirely in 1979, they continued to thrive in popular culture and fashion. As a fashion icon, Chuck Taylors has played a role in several subcultures, and the company has promoted it as part of the shoe stamp. Converse has been using Chuck Taylor All-Stars to enhance the cultural and brand culture relevance. Chuck Taylor All-Stars proved their continuity throughout the 20th and 21st centuries through their portrayals in film, art, and musical culture, as well as through usage in sports sub-culture including weightlifting and skateboarding.
Art
In 2015, Converse released a collection of Converse All-Star Andy Warhol, in partnership with Andy Warhol Foundation. In honor of Warhol's contribution to the visual arts, Converse designed All-Star shoes to commemorate the influence of the Warhol subculture.
Powerlifting
Although originally intended as a basketball shoe, powerlifting athletes have embraced Chuck Taylors as ideal for sport. Chucks have flat rubber palms, which enforce correct posture on movements such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses. The 71-year-old Pete Bennett set a world record for squatting in his class at £ 465 on a pair of Chuck Taylors. The canvas material allows powerlifters to push their feet out on the squats that help keep their knees out and activate their glutes. Low-top Chuck Taylors provide complete ankle mobility, since the canvas does not cover the ankle.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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