ABOUT CONVERSE

Fact Sheets

Chuck Taylor All Star

At the turn of the 20th century, Marquis Mills Converse was in his late 30’s. He was a well-respected manager at a footwear manufacturing firm where he’d been learning the trade since he was 21. Marquis was one of the first to see how sports captivated the imagination of young men and women eager to make their mark on the world. He saw, perhaps before anyone, that sports were the ideal incarnation of the American Dream. Sports allowed any individual, regardless of his or her social status, the chance to realize their potential and become a star. All that was required was athletic ability, a skillful mind, and the right equipment.

In 1908, Marquis founded the Converse Rubber Shoe Company to supply the day’s sporting shoes. Marquis’s vision took a quantum leap in 1917 when he introduced the world’s first performance basketball shoe, the All Star. Marquis then made his next move; in 1918, he recruited a young basketball player, salesman, and the game’s first ever player endorser, Chuck Taylor.

Chuck Taylor, who would go on to represent Converse between 1918 and 1968, figured prominently in the evolution and popularization of basketball worldwide. In 1969, he entered basketball’s Naismith Hall of Fame. Considered by his contemporaries as the consummate ambassador to the sport, Taylor earned the nicknames, “Mr. Basketball” and the “Ambassador of Basketball.” He was considered a true team player with incredible spirit and competitive drive. Highly knowledgeable about the game, Taylor believed in the purity of the game and its fundamentals. He traveled the world, spreading the gospel of basketball while promoting creativity, unity, and team spirit along the way.

Throughout the 20th century, Converse again and again introduced to generations innovative footwear that defined sports footwear categories and became standard issue equipment. Beyond its sports origins, Chuck Taylor All Star shoes, popularly known as “Chucks,” have since transcended generational cultural and socio-economic boundaries. It has evolved beyond performance into an American and global youth symbol of originality and individuality. Converse began to find its way into popular culture in the 1940’s when America’s youth began sporting their “Chucks” off the court. Today, “Chucks” are worn by artists, musicians, trend setters and pop culture icons. At the same time, Chuck Taylor shoes are not tied to boundaries. Converse resonates across generations and is imbedded in society. In nearly a century, and more than 750 million shoes later, the soul of Chuck Taylor lives on in every product Converse makes.

Where to Buy:
Converse footwear and apparel is available at key retailers including Journeys, Foot Locker and Champs Sports, as well as other athletic specialty, sporting goods and better independent retailers nationwide. Additionally, Converse footwear is available at www.converse.com.

Contact: Public Relations
Company: Converse
Email: pr@converse.com
Office Phone: 978 983-3325