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55-653: Chuck Taylor claimed to play as a forward for the Germans as well as the Akron Firestones and the New York Celtics in industrial league basketball for 11 years between 1918 and 1930. There is no documentary evidence to support this contention. The team was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1961, and is now one of only twelve teams to be elected as a whole. In 1904 the team won

110-467: A buddy of mine who I used to skate with every day—he turned into a woodworker. So he gave me this scrap box of wood ... It just definitely started consuming me as skating did. I wanted to read about it, you know? Go on the internet and watch videos about it, and just learn anything and everything I could about woodworking. The first thing I ever made was a bench, and that's, kinda, what I've been making ever since. The cool thing about working with Product (RED)

165-651: A casual fashion accessory contributed to $ 2.4 billion in revenue in 2023. Forty-seven-year-old Marquis Mills Converse, a manager at a footwear manufacturing firm, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in February 1908, in Malden, Massachusetts . The company was a rubber shoe manufacturer, and its early inventory included winterized rubber-soled footwear, galoshes , tennis shoes, and some non-footwear items like automobile tires. In summer of 1916,

220-563: A heart attack in Port Charlotte, Florida , on June 23, 1969, one day short of his sixty-eighth birthday. He is buried at Restlawn Memorial Gardens in Port Charlotte. Taylor's greatest legacy is the iconic Converse All Star shoe that he helped to improve and tirelessly promoted for nearly four decades. Most American basketball players wore Chuck Taylor All Stars between the mid-1920s and the 1970s. Converse All Stars were also

275-564: A large portion of Converse footwear—was created by Jim Labadini, an employee. Eltra was acquired by Allied Corporation in 1979. Allied moved out of the consumer products business in the 1980s, and in October 1986, Converse was acquired by Interco Incorporated and spun off in 1994. Converse lost its athletic shoe monopoly from the 1970s onward, as new competitors, including Puma , Adidas , and Nike , grew in popularity. A decade later, as Reebok introduced new designs and technology to

330-641: A lawsuit against 30 companies for allegedly infringing on its generic sneaker style's bumper toe, striped midsole, and toe cap. The brand argued that companies were violating an alleged common-law trademark by importing sneakers with similar elements. Several companies settled with Converse and they were dropped from the list. In November 2015, Charles Bullock, chief administrative judge at the International Trade Commission , preliminarily ruled that several brands Converse filed against were violating Converse's outsole design trademarks, i.e.

385-475: A low-cut style of All-Stars. By 1966, the shoe was also available in school colors. Converse customized shoes for the New York Renaissance (the "Rens"), the first all- African-American professional basketball team. The shoes were designed to be "non-skid", which gave basketball players better grip. An extra strip of rubber was eventually added to protect the shoes from constant pivoting; this

440-552: A marketing representative for Converse, Taylor made his living as a salesman who traveled across the country to conduct basketball clinics and sell shoes. For many years he lived year-round in motels, driving around the United States with a trunk full of shoe samples. Abraham Aamidor, a Taylor biographer, also points out that Taylor was not sparing in his use of the Converse expense account. Converse listed Taylor's address as

495-582: A new advertisement that was broadcast online in July 2014, in which he skateboarded through New York City in a newly launched skate shoe version of the Converse Weapon model. In February 2024, Converse and Phaidon launched a book titled Skateboard , about the history of skateboarding from the 1950s to today. The book was put together by Jonathan Olivares , a designer and skater. A special collection called "1Hund (RED)", whereby fifteen percent of

550-542: A permanent music recording studio, 5,000-square-foot (460 m ) gym with separate yoga studio, and a 3,500-square-foot (330 m ) retail store. In May 2023, Converse hired Jared Carver as the new president and CEO. Starting in July 2008, Converse sent around 180 cease-and-desist letters to over 30 companies that they claimed were violating the Chuck Taylor All-Stars trademark and selling so-called look-alike sneakers. In October 2014, Converse filed

605-411: A sales executive for Converse for nearly 30 years before becoming the athletic director at Louisiana State University , told Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer , "It was impossible not to like him, and he knew everybody. If you were a coach and you wanted to find a job, you called Chuck Taylor. Athletic directors talked to him all the time when they were looking for a coach." The basketball clinic

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660-451: A team of "ambassadors": Kenny Anderson, Anthony Pappalardo, Nick Trapasso, Sammy Baca, Ethan Fowler, Raymond Molinar, and Rune Glifberg . In 2012, the company added Jason Jessee and Mike Anderson to its ambassadors team. In August 2012, Converse sponsored a skate event at Huntington Beach , California , U.S. Trapasso, Tom Remillard, Aaron Homoki , Greyson Fletcher, Ben Raemers, Ben Hatchell, Robbie Russo, and Ben Raybourn participated in

715-524: A year of Taylor's arrival the company had adopted his suggestions of changing the design of the Converse All Star shoe to provide enhanced flexibility and support. The restyled shoe also included a distinctive star-shape logo on the patch that protected the ankle. After Taylor's signature was added to the All Star logo on the patch of the shoes, they became known as Chuck Taylor All Stars. As

770-594: Is an American lifestyle brand that markets, distributes, and licenses footwear , apparel , and accessories . Founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 as the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts, it has been acquired by several companies before becoming a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. in 2003. Converse initially produced winterized rubber-soled shoes and boots. During World War II , it shifted manufacturing to make footwear for

825-506: Is just by doing the two things that I love, I'm also able to help people. In 2012, Converse was listed as a partner in the (RED) campaign, together with other brands such as Nike, Inc. , Girl, and Bugaboo. The campaign's mission is to prevent the transmission of the HIV virus from mother to child by 2015 (the campaign's byline is "Fighting For An AIDS Free Generation"). In the winter of 2018, Converse teamed up with several influential figures in

880-718: The AAU national tournament , which served as a demonstration sport at the St. Louis Olympics . From 1908 to 1910 the team won 111 straight games. The team was disbanded in 1925 after compiling a 792–86 record. Taylor supposedly played as a forward in industrial league basketball for 11 years between 1918 and 1930, for the Akron Firestone Non-Skids, the Buffalo Germans and the New York Celtics....Are

935-577: The Buffalo Germans and Original Celtics as some have claimed. Taylor did not clarify the assertions. With one notable exception, Taylor's career as a player on a semi-professional team ended in the 1920s in Chicago when he became a traveling salesman and product promoter for the Converse Rubber Shoe Company . However, during the 1926–27 season, Taylor was a player-manager of the All-Stars,

990-734: The Guns N' Roses music video " Estranged ". Converse re-released "The Weapon" classic (which Kobe Bryant wore at least three times in 2002 and Andre Miller wore in 2002 from mid-August to early September) several times from 1999 to 2003 and after, "The Loaded Weapon" in 2003, "The Weapon 86" in 2008 (and the Poorman version in 2009, and the John Varvatos version in 2012), "The Weapon EVO" in 2009, and its successor "The Star Player EVO" (sometimes reduced to "The Star Plyr EVO" or "The Star Ply EVO") in 2010. Before "The Weapon", Converse launched

1045-661: The Wright Field Air-Tecs basketball team during the 1944–45 season and served as a physical fitness instructor for the U.S. military before resuming his career as a traveling salesman for Converse. Taylor retired from work in 1968. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969. In 1917, while Taylor was still in high school, Converse began manufacturing one of the first basketball shoes. At least one source indicates that in 1918 Taylor wore Converse Non-Skids,

1100-501: The "One Star" in 1974, the "Pro Leather" in 1976 and the "Starion" in 1984, all known for basketball and basketball performance. A redesigned model of the Chuck Taylor All-Star, the "Chuck Taylor II", was released in July 28, 2015. Incorporating Nike technology, it retains most of the original's outward appearance while employing newer materials for the insole. In 2019, Converse returned to performance basketball with

1155-538: The 1980s as retro-style casual footwear. Chuck Taylor All-Stars have made an appearance in over 650 films, such as Back to the Future , I, Robot , Grease and Stand by Me . David Tennant (playing the Tenth Doctor ) wore red and cream versions of Hi-top Converse on science-fiction show Doctor Who . In 1986, Converse released "The Weapon" basketball shoe. Manufactured in two color schemes to match

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1210-733: The All-Star Pro BB. Kelly Oubre Jr. was the first player to try out the new product, which combined the traditional Converse silhouette with the contemporary Nike technology. Thereafter Converse signed Draymond Green in March 2020, Natasha Cloud (the first WNBA player) in June, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in July, and, thereafter, Rudy Gay , P. J. Tucker , DeAndre' Bembry , De'Anthony Melton , Nickeil Alexander-Walker , Immanuel Quickley , Deividas Sirvydis , Jordan Clarkson , Josh Richardson , David Duke Jr. , Brandon Williams . Some of

1265-538: The Chicago-based touring team that the Converse company sponsored to promote sales of its Converse All Star basketball shoes. In 1921 S. R. "Bob" Pletz, an avid sportsman, hired Taylor as a salesman for the Converse Rubber Shoe Company when Taylor visited the company's offices in Chicago. The previous year the company had introduced an earlier version of Converse All Stars as one of the first shoes specifically designed to be worn when playing basketball. Within

1320-540: The Converse basketball line was established; by 1917 the Converse All-Star basketball shoe was introduced and quickly became successful during World War I and the Spanish flu . In 1922, basketball player Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor walked into Converse complaining of sore feet, and Converse gave him a job as a salesman and ambassador. He promoted the shoes around the U.S., and in 1932 Taylor's signature

1375-416: The U.S. closed down, as production fully moved overseas. In April 2001, Footwear Acquisitions, led by Marsden Cason and Bill Simon, purchased the brand from bankruptcy and added industry partners Jack Boys, Jim Stroesser, Lisa Kempa, and David Maddocks to lead the turnaround. During this period, Converse moved its headquarters from North Reading, Massachusetts , to North Andover, Massachusetts . The company

1430-431: The U.S. military, in addition to conducting physical fitness programs for new recruits. GIs were soon doing calisthenics while wearing Chuck Taylor All Stars, which had become the "official" basketball shoe of the U.S. armed forces. In 1950 Taylor moved to Los Angeles, California. He also continued to travel to military bases and in 1957 made a trip to South America on behalf of the U.S. State Department . In 1958 he

1485-626: The United States. As Steve Stone, a former Converse president, once noted: "Chuck's gimmick was to go to a small town, romance the coach, and put on a clinic. He would teach basketball and work with the local sporting goods dealer, but without encroaching on the coach's own system." In addition to the clinics, Taylor toured with the Converse All-Star basketball team, traveled the country to meet with customers in sporting goods shops, and made numerous publicity appearances, including playing with local teams. Another of Taylor's promotional tools

1540-551: The aforementioned players also wear other brands. Gilgeous-Alexander, point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder , has become the new face of the brand. The shoe, "Chase the Drip" was released on September 13, 2022. In the 1980s, Converse sponsored several influential skaters including Jason Jessee , Rodney Mullen , and Mark Rogowski . Under the "Cons" name, Converse launched its skateboarding program in 2009 with

1595-551: The canvas and rubber shoe that was the forerunner to the Converse All Stars. Taylor made his debut as a semi-professional basketball player on March 19, 1919, playing for the Columbus Commercials when he was seventeen years old. (Taylor played as a substitute for another of the team's players during the final three minutes of the game, but he scored no points.) After the Columbus Commercials disbanded

1650-538: The common law and found invalid Converse's federal trademark registration. The case was appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which ruled that the ITC had used the wrong test and remanded the case. On remand, the ITC ruled that Converse's trade dress was protectable but not infringed. Converse started making an early basketball shoe in 1917 and redesigned it in 1922, when Chuck Taylor asked

1705-425: The company to create a better shoe with more support and flexibility. After Converse added Taylor's signature to the ankle patch they became known as Chuck Taylor All Stars. By the 1960s the company had captured about 70 to 80 percent of the basketball shoe market, but the shoe declined in popularity during the 1970s when basketball players wore competing brands. Chuck Taylor All-Stars enjoyed a comeback in popularity in

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1760-593: The competition that was held. Raybourn eventually won the US$ 20,000 grand prize, and Homoki won the US$ 3,000 Best Trick contest. As of July 2014, the Cons skateboard team consisted of original members Anderson, Trapasso, Baca, and Glifberg, while Jessee, Anderson, Julian Davidson, Remillard, Zered Basset , Ben Raemers , Jake Johnson, Eli Reed, Louie Lopez , Sage Elsesser , and Sean Pablo were subsequently added. Bassett filmed

1815-512: The credentials true? One sports historian said, "We're always hearing that he spent 11 or 12 years playing ball professionally, but we've spent 25 years researching pro ball and we've never seen his name in a box score yet." Chuck Taylor (salesman) Charles Hollis Taylor (June 24, 1901 – June 23, 1969) was an American basketball player and basketball shoe salesman / marketer who was associated with Chuck Taylor All-Stars , which he helped to improve and promote. Charles H. "Chuck" Taylor

1870-489: The development of the sport in other ways. In 1935 he invented a "stitchless" basketball that was easier to control. Taylor also promoted basketball internationally. When basketball became an Olympic sport in 1936, he designed a white high-top model with blue and red trim for the 1936 Olympic Games. The Converse All Star shoe remained the official shoe of the Olympics team from 1936 to 1968. During World War II , Taylor

1925-556: The following season, Taylor continued to pursue a career in professional basketball, which included playing for the Akron Firestone Non-Skids , a semi-professional team, as well as other semi-professional teams in Detroit , Michigan , and Chicago , Illinois . Although Taylor played on professional and semi-professional teams for eleven seasons, no records have been located that confirm Taylor's link to playing for

1980-485: The kit colors of basketball teams, it has been available in both high-top and low-cut varieties. It had leather construction throughout, including the inside heel which was also heavily padded for comfort. The first endorsers of "The Weapon" were Larry Bird and Magic Johnson , who were prominently featured in a Converse commercial set in Bird's hometown of French Lick, Indiana in 1985. They were also worn by Axl Rose in

2035-453: The military. Initially, it was one of the few producers of athletic shoes and dominated the U.S. market, but lost its position in the 1970s as competitors introduced their styles. Converse's portfolio includes products under the Chuck Taylor All-Stars , Cons, Jack Purcell , One Star, and Star Chevron trademarks. It frequently collaborates on special-edition product releases with other brands such as John Varvatos . The growth of Converse as

2090-403: The military. After the war's end, the company resumed production of athletic footwear and chiefly made a high top shoe, in either black or white. In the 1950s and 1960s, Converse promoted an American image with its Converse Basketball Yearbook. Artist Charles Kerins created cover art that celebrated Converse's role in the lives of high school and college athletes. In 1957, Converse came out with

2145-542: The offices of its regional headquarters in downtown Chicago, and later its offices in Melrose Park, Illinois , instead of a permanent residence. Joe Dean, one of Taylor's former co-workers, also recalled that Taylor kept a locker in the company's Chicago warehouse to store and exchange seasonal clothing items. Converse paid Taylor a salary, but he received no commission for any of the 600 million pairs of Chuck Taylor shoes that have been sold. Joe Dean, who worked as

2200-555: The official basketball shoe of the Olympic games from 1936 until 1968. By the 1960s Converse had captured about 70 to 80 percent of the basketball shoe market before the company's sales declined. Beginning in the 1980s Converse All Stars enjoyed a comeback in popularity as casual footwear. Nike acquired Converse in 2003 and continues to market Chuck Taylor All Star shoes in mass merchandise outlets worldwide. Converse (shoe company) Converse ( / ˈ k ɒ n v ər s / )

2255-440: The pattern on the bottom of the sole of the shoe. The soles of the shoes are designed to allow players to jump or move in all directions. The diamond pattern makes this possible. Judge Bullock further ruled that while Skechers "Twinkle Toes" brands did share similarities to Converse, "Twinkle Toes" were different enough and marketed in a way for it not to be mistaken for Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Judge Bullock also ruled that most of

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2310-469: The player-manager for the Converse All-Stars basketball team in the mid-1920s, but he became widely known as a salesman and promoter of Converse All Star basketball shoes. Taylor traveled the country providing local basketball clinics, making special appearances, and meeting with customers in local sporting goods stores to promote the company's basketball shoes. During World War II he coached

2365-415: The profits are used to support HIV/AIDS prevention, was released by the brand. One hundred artists from around the world were chosen to create designs for the collection as part of the (RED) campaign. Professional skateboarder Anthony Pappalardo released a (RED) edition of his high-selling signature skate shoe model in February 2010. Pappalardo explains: I got into woodworking about two years ago, through

2420-535: The shoes sold by Highline United under the Ash brand did not infringe and that Converse did not have a valid common law mark for its midsole. On June 23, 2016, the anniversary of the death of Chuck Taylor, the International Trade Commission ruled that Converse's alleged trade dress for the midsole design of a combined toe cap, toe bumper, and stripe was not entitled to trademark protection under

2475-505: The sports market, Converse was no longer the official shoe of the NBA. Although canvas-rubber shoes regained popularity in the 1980s as casual footwear, Converse eventually became too dependent on the "All Stars" basketball brand, whose market collapsed by 1989–1990. By 2000, Converse was slipping repeatedly into receivership as debt piled up yearly. Converse filed for bankruptcy on January 22, 2001. On March 30, its last manufacturing plants in

2530-566: Was Taylor's main method of promoting basketball. He led his first informal clinic in 1922 at North Carolina State University , and continued the effort for years, making it an established aspect of his sales promotions. Taylor's next "demonstration," as he described it, was for Fielding Yost at the University of Michigan , followed by Columbia and then for Doc Carlson at Pitt . Taylor's free basketball clinics continued for nearly thirty years in high school and college gyms and YMCAs around

2585-544: Was acquired by the Eltra Corporation in 1972, and bought out one of its biggest competitors at the time, PF Flyers , from B.F. Goodrich . However, federal courts ruled the sale a monopoly and the deal was subsequently broken up through anti-trust litigation. Converse only retained the trademark rights to the Jack Purcell line, which it still produces. The chevron -and-star insignia—a logo that remains on

2640-604: Was added to the All-Star patch on the high-topped sneakers. He continued this work until shortly before his death in 1969. Sales for the All-Star soared until 1929 when the company fell into bankruptcy. In 1939, Converse was sold to the Stone Family, who owned Converse until 1972 when the Eltra Corporation proposed an acquisition. When the U.S. entered World War II in 1941, Converse shifted production to manufacturing rubberized footwear, outerwear, and protective suits for

2695-457: Was born in rural Brown County, Indiana , on June 24, 1901. Taylor, a graduate of Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana , in 1919, played guard position on the school's basketball team. He became captain of the varsity team while a high school sophomore , and was also a two-time all-state team selection. Taylor began his career as a semi-professional basketball player in 1919 and as

2750-606: Was called the "pivot button". In 1962 , center Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scored 100 points in a National Basketball Association (NBA) game while wearing a pair of All-Stars, taking a 169–147 victory over the New York Knicks in Hershey, Pennsylvania , on March 2. By the early 1970s, Converse had diversified to include manufacturing sporting goods and industrial products. Converse

2805-547: Was commissioned in the U.S. Navy and later transferred to the U.S. Army , but he was too old to serve in combat. Taylor's main contribution during the war years was coaching the Wright Field Air-Tecs basketball team at the United States Army Air Forces base in Dayton, Ohio , during the 1944–45 season. Before leaving the military in 1945, Taylor had recruited pilots and became a fitness consultant for

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2860-681: Was inducted into the Sporting Goods Hall of Fame. Taylor's first wife was Ruth Adler, a former Hollywood actress who appeared in films such as Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Design for Scandal (1941). They married on May 26, 1950, in Carson City, Nevada , and settled in Los Angeles , California . The couple separated in 1955 and divorced in 1957. Taylor married Lucille Kimbrell on December 11, 1962, in Reno, Nevada . She

2915-494: Was located in the town of North Andover for 13 years. In July 2003, Nike paid US$ 309 million to acquire Converse. In January 2013, Converse announced plans for a new headquarters building. It was constructed near North Station in downtown Boston, on the Lovejoy Wharf , as part of a site overhaul and restoration of public waterfront access. The 10-story 214,000-square-foot (19,900 m ) office building includes

2970-468: Was the annual Converse Basketball Yearbook , which he developed in 1922 and was enlarged in 1929. The yearbook commemorated the best players, trainers, teams and the greatest moments of the sport, as well as providing good publicity for Taylor's clinics and the Converse company's All Star basketball shoes. Taylor also made his own All-American selections. In addition to selling Converse All Star shoes and conducting basketball clinics, Taylor contributed to

3025-533: Was the former wife of Eugene Kimbrell, a co-founder of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics . Chuck and Lucille Taylor resided in Port Charlotte, Florida , where Taylor spent the final years of his life. Taylor, an avid golfer , spent the early 1960s in semi-retirement, and officially retired from Converse in 1968. He was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and inducted in 1969. Taylor died of

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