subject: The Phenomenon of Chuck Taylor All Stars [print this page] The Phenomenon of Chuck Taylor All Stars The Phenomenon of Chuck Taylor All Stars
The legendary basketball-style canvas shoe is a iconic piece of fashion that has been around for generations. The original 'Chucks' shoe was first produced over a century ago, and to date, well over nine hundred million pairs have been sold. So what's the attraction?
Movies and celebrities have played a large part in the popularity of this type of shoe Actors such asTom Hanks, River Phoenix, Jeff Bridges, Michael Keaton, Mike Myers, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Michael J.Fox have all featured in movies wearing a pair of Converse All Stars'. TV programs including "The Wonder Years" have also increased the profile of the shoe. In the BBC TV Series "Doctor Who", the tenth Doctor, David Tennant wore a pair of white Converse with a suit in every episode. This look was apparently chosen by Tennant himself when working on the clothing for the character.
Converse All Stars, or Chucks' as they are commonly known are a classic American icon that has spread throughout the world. They were first retailed in 1917 and surprisingly the production materials and style have changed very little since then. They are also a truly unisex shoe, with almost all styles being manufactuered in male and female sizes.
The construction of the shoe is simple; it's a rubber sole, with a canvas top. This helps to keep the price low, and means it's easy to adapt the top to new colors and designs. The shoe is also suitable for both vegans and vegetarians. With vegetarian shoes being more popular than ever, this customer is extremely important to Converse.
The spread of the appeal is immense; in the UK, Conservative party leader David Cameron was clearly seen wearing a pair of Converse All Stars in a highly publicized photograph. For many fashion brands, this would be the ultimate kiss of death', but Converse just seems to get stronger and stronger.
The company was purchased by Nike in 2003 and they have ambitious plans for the future. Recent limited edition Converse designs featuring bands such as AC/DC, Pink Floyd, The Who and Blondie have also seen a range of new styles of Converse coming through, which help to widen the appeal even further.
Undoubtedly, the appeal of Converse will tail off to some degree in the future, but when and by how much is uncertain. One thing that is almost certain is that with the following it has, the long-term prospects for this brand are very good indeed and Converse All Stars will still be worn by many future generations.
