‘Born for the court, adopted by the streets:’ Converse All Star shoes and the Indiana man behind them

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FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – As with anything that lives more than 100 years, the Converse “Chuck Taylor” All Star sneakers have grown and changed since their inception in 1917.

But like its design, the sneaker’s popularity has endured despite going from a near monopoly in the basketball world to a celebrity and casual shoe staple.

While the Converse All Star is much more likely to be worn by Justin Bieber than LeBron James in 2024, the shoe owes its success to basketball and an Indiana man who helped spread the message.

From Columbus, Indiana to Springfield, Massachusetts

Charles H. “Chuck” Taylor – whose name is as synonymous with the sneaker as Converse itself – was born on June 24, 1901 in Brown County, Indiana, just south of Indianapolis.

After a successful high school basketball career in nearby Columbus, Indiana, Taylor continued to play the sport with several semi-professional teams before joining Converse as a salesman in the early 1920s.

According to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Taylor reportedly visited a Converse sales office in Chicago in 1921, complained of sore feet and convinced company executives to make a shoe specifically for basketball.

In 1932, Converse had added the signature “Chuck Taylor” to the Converse All Star basketball shoe, and the company had Taylor be a basketball ambassador and travel the country to promote the sneaker.

Along the way, Taylor also organized basketball clinics to increase interest in the sport.

By the time of Taylor’s hospitalization and death in 1969, the Converse All Star had been the top shoe for most basketball players for decades.

Bill Russell ties his shoe – a high-top Converse All Star – before a game at the San Francisco Cow Palace in February 1955. Russell played college basketball at the University of San Francisco. (AP Photo/RHH)
UCLA Bruins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, plays on February 26, 1967. Abdul-Jabbar is seen in this photo wearing low-top Converse All Star shoes, while his opponents and teammates also wear Converse shoes. (AP photo)
Wilt Chamberlain (13) of the University of Kansas goes for a loose ball during a game with the University of California at Berkeley, December 18, 1956. Chamberlain and other players are seen wearing high and low versions of the Converse All Star shoes. (AP Photo/Robert H. Houston)
Jerry West (44) of West Virginia spins during fast action in a match on March 8, 1958 in Richmond, Virginia. West is seen wearing low Converse All Star shoes. (AP photo)
Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati, an All-America player in his second year, tries to block an opponent’s layup attempt on December 1, 1958. Each player in the photo is wearing Converse All Star shoes. (AP Photo/Harvey Eugene Smith)

From hardwood to red carpet

Although the popularity of the Converse All Star began to decline in the 1970s as competition from Nike, Adidas and Puma increased and the company released another basketball shoe, “The Weapon” in the 1980s, the Converse All Star experienced a resurgence in the field of casual shoes.

The shoes can still be found at sneaker stores such as Champs or Foot Locker, but also at specialty clothing stores aimed at a younger audience, including Journeys or PacSun.

Converse has been owned by its former competitor Nike since 2003, but the All Star – as well as other Converse shoe models such as ‘The Weapon’ – still remain as they were.

Kendrick Lamar poses for a photo on Thursday, May 1, 2014. Lamar is seen wearing white Converse All Star shoes. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Millie Bobby Brown arrives at the 24th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards wearing white Converse All-Star low tops on Sunday, January 21, 2018 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Tyler, the Creator arrives at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards wearing Converse All Star shoes on Sunday, January 28, 2018 in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Kristen Stewart arrives at the MTV Movie Awards wearing black Converse All Star shoes on Sunday, May 31, 2009 in Universal City, California. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Many celebrities ranging from Kendrick Lamar to Millie Bobby Brown have also been seen sporting a variation of the shoe at red carpet events.

Converse has seemingly embraced the culture change for its former basketball shoe as well, with a web page for the shoe the company’s website states ‘born for the court, adopted by the street’.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is fouled while driving to the basket by Derrick Jones Jr. of Dallas Mavericks, back, in the first half of Game 6 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Saturday, May 18, 2024, in Dallas. Gilgeous-Alexander is seen wearing a pair of Converse All Star BB Trilliant CX Diamond shoes. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

However, the brand has also seen its basketball roots resurface in recent years after Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander switched from Nike to Converse in 2020.

In April 2024, Gilgeous-Alexander signed an extension to remain the face of Converse and the creative director of the company’s basketball division.

According to a report by Shams Charania, A senior NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium, Gilgeous-Alexander — who finished second in the NBA MVP voting for the 2023-2024 season — will have his first signature shoe with the Converse release in 2025.

While this shoe will be Converse’s latest foray into the basketball world, the company’s original sneaker is still enjoying a successful retirement from many off the court.