Converse Sneakers

Chances are pretty high that you've heard of Converse sneakers.  You may even own a pair.  Many people love them for their versatility and comfort, but how did they come about?

In 1908, Marquis Mills Converse opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts. The company originally made winterized rubber-soled foot wear for men, women, and children.  The company wasn't successful until they started to make tennis shoes in 1915.  In 1917, Converse created the Converse All Star, a basketball shoe.

One of the original shoes

Those didn't gain much traction (ha ha, shoe pun) until Charles (Chuck) H. Taylor, a player for the Akron Firestones, saw the shoe's potential and in 1921 joined the sales team.  Because he was so successful in promoting the shoes and making critical design changes to the shoes, Converse added his signature to the All Star patch located on the inside body of the shoe in 1932.

In 1936, the Optical white model was designed for the 1936 Olympics.  That model became very popular along with the black monochrome and leather models.  When Chuck Taylor served in WWII, he helped make the white All Star become the official Armed Forces sneaker.  In 1949, the black and white High Top was introduced.  By this time, the 'Chuck Taylor' All Stars became the standard basketball shoes for serious players, high school, college, and professional teams.  The late 50s ushered in the low-top Converse for casual wear.  In 1968, Chuck Taylor was inducted to the Basketball Hall of Fame, and then died one year later.  With his death, the All Stars diminished in popularity, and basketball players started to use other shoes.

However, people such as rock stars and teenagers loved them and Converse responded by making hundreds of different colors and patterns for different age groups (Converse uses unisex sizing).  The company began to experience hard times and filed for bankruptcy in 2001.  Nike, Converse's biggest competition, bought the brand and moved all factories to Asia.  The shoes are still very popular today.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Converse_(shoe_company)#The_Weapon
http://chucksconnection.com/history1.html