This is one Chuck you won’t chuck out
June 6, 2003 | 12:00am
The the ’40s, not only did the Chuck Taylor All Star (a.k.a. "Chucks") reach legend status on the basketball court, Chucks became a part of American pop culture – just like jeans, burgers, diners and sodas. Thus, Chuck Taylor’s signature and trademark star were immortalized.
Established in New England, the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, which started out as a small footwear company, has come a long way. Since its birth in 1908, Converse has become a second home to the people of the Edgeworth section of Malden, Massachusetts. The company has also been a witness to tough economic times, struggling through World Wars and many other remarkable changes in American life.
Time passed, things changed and so did Converse. Following World War II, canvas footwear replaced rubber shoes as the company’s primary source of business, with Converse emerging as the forerunner in basketball sneakers. Come the ‘50s and ’60s, the Converse canvas footwear became more in demand. Factories popped out all over the Northeast landscape and sales continued to rise. It wasn’t a surprise that around the ‘60s, about 90 percent of the basketball shoes market belonged to Converse.
On its 75th anniversary, the Chuck Taylor All Star, which has become a part of American pop culture, has taken on a new role.
Yes, Kate Moss, Drew Barrymore, Carson Daly, Ben Affleck and Julia Roberts have donned Chucks on and off screen. Even icons like James Dean and Elvis Presley were seen in Chucks. Chucks have certainly withstood the test of time, remaining the choice of the stars. Now, they are making waves once again. Since celebrities and models have donned Chucks, the shoe has become a true fashion icon.
In 2001-2002, alone, 1,700 pairs have been shipped off to celebrities, photographers and editors to be used in movies, magazines, editorials, commercials and music videos. Chuck Taylor All Stars’ popularity is nothing arcane. It has provided a benchmark for other shoe companies to follow.
And if your idea of Chucks is limited to reds, blues, blacks and whites, think again. As those colors remain favorites, Converse offers more new and exciting designs to better fit one’s mood and lifestyle.
Now, there are Chuck Taylors that are two-toned, and with a variety of colors such as baby blue, navy blue, gold, off-white, green, dark khakis, purple, pink and charcoal to name a few. For the more liberated, there are Chucks that come in leopard prints, zebra prints, rainbow stripes, floral, earth ’70s and flame. Some Chucks are even made from materials like corduroy and denims.
Several female celebrities have been seen wearing Chucks with skirts, such as Gia Coppola and Reese Witherspoon in the film Sweet Home Alabama. Hip-hop stars such as Nelly, Ja Rule, P. Diddy, LL Cool J, Jay-Z, Ashanti and Ludacris have donned their own Chucks in TV appearances and the like. And since Grunge is in once again, Avril Lavigne has been seen in her Chucks over and over again in music videos and performances. (And you thought it was the necktie that was her trademark, eh?)
For the rockers out there, the All-American Rejects, Alien Ant Farm, Green Day, Blink 182, Fiona Apple, the Ataris, Kid Rock, Goo Goo Dolls, The Cure, Wallflowers, Metallica and Korn are only some of the names rocking on in Chucks. Ultimate rock honeys (for me, at least!) Brandon Boyd of Incubus and Gavin Rossdale have also been fans of the Chuck Taylor All Star.
In Hollywood, Courtney Cox-Arquette, Kate Winslet, Renee Zellwegger, David Beckham, Ewan McGregor, Matthew McConaughey and Freddie Prinze Jr. have donned their Chucks on and off screen as well.
After the 9/11 in New York, Chucks’ stars-and-bars have been spotted more and more on the street. For a time, the American flag Chuck Taylor All Star became the widest selling Chucks at that time.
The stars are wearing the stars. Countless ones have been spotted in their Chucks. And it isn’t just a basketball shoe; now it has become a fashion icon.
They’re wearing ‘em, so where are yours?
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