Everyone knows what Converse is. But not so many people know about the brand’s history, which goes way back into the early 20th century. One of the first models Converse ever created was the Chuck Taylor – and in this article, we’ll take a closer look at the ideal summer silhouette.
THE BIRTH OF THE CHUCKS
Converse, then titled the Converse Rubber Shoe Company, was founded in 1908. One of its main points of interest was basketball – which is how the first canvas Converse came to be. Incidentally, they were one of the first sneakers designed specifically with basketball in mind. A bit later, in the 1920’s, a young man from Indiana took the position of sales representative for the company. But he wasn’t much of a fan of the shoes, and started coming up with ways to make them an even better basketball accessory. His name? You guessed it, Chuck Taylor.
The company took his advice to heart and, gradually, started implementing the changes, until the shoes resembled Chuck’s ideas. With time, the new version got a new name, and the Converse Chuck Taylors were born. Sadly, the father of the now widely popular shoes didn’t receive any commissions or compensation for creating the best-selling shoes.
CHUCK TAYLOR 70S
The currently very popular version of the legendary model is called the Converse Chuck Taylor 70s – it’s a bit pricier than the “regular” Converse All Stars, but offers several features to compensate for this.
As Converse All Star owners often complained about the low-quality and very delicate upper, the Chuck 70s feature a stronger and firmer surface. The midsole is made from a single piece of rubber and, compared to the All Star, provides better support for the foot arches. Put simply, the Chuck Taylor 70’s are higher quality and have a longer lifespan. The visual comparison is up to us to make, but for me personally, the slightly yellowish midsole is a great element you shouldn’t underestimate.
At the moment, you can find more than 70 variations of the Converse Chuck Taylor 70s on Footshop – high-tops, low-tops, simple or wildly extravagant colorways – we’ve got it all. Now, you’ve finished the introduction to this popular model, and the rest is up to you – click below and pick a pair.
Looking for new summer sneakers? Check out the recent on feet editorial, where I introduced three ideal, budget-friendly summer sneakers.
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