Converse Sneakers

Converse is a footwear brand founded in 1908 by Marquis Mills Converse, a manager at a footwear manufacturing firm. He created his own company, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, providing winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. It wasn’t until 1915 that Converse manufactured athletic tennis shoes; that paved the way for the first ever Converse basketball shoe, famously called the Converse Chuck Taylor.

In 1921, Charles “Chuck” Taylor, a basketball player, contacted Converse and complained of sore feet. It was then the Converse Chuck Taylor basketball shoe was incepted, and Chuck Taylor himself became an employee of the company. In 1923, his signature was added to the famous Converse All Star logo. Another popular, more updated basketball shoe was the Converse Weapon, which debuted in 1985.

Converse continued as one of the leading manufacturers of sports apparel until the latter third of the 20th century. With the emergence of competitors like Nike, Puma, adidas, and Reebok, Converse no longer enjoyed the success it once had, and even lost its position as the official shoe of the NBA. In 2001, after failed business practices and a decreasing relevance in the contemporary footwear realm, Converse filed for bankruptcy.

Two years later, in 2003, the Converse company was purchased by sports-apparel powerhouse Nike for $305 million. With the rise of vintage and retro styling, the Converse Chuck Taylor made an immense comeback and is now considered a wardrobe staple of people of all ages, from infants to the middle-aged. Converse also produced newer designs of basketball shoes, and had a notable roster of NBA endorsees, the biggest of those names being Dwyane Wade. Although no longer under original ownership, Converse remains a historical landmark, and the Chuck Taylor, the “original” basketball shoe, will continue to live on.