Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Basketball courts, skate parks, rock concerts, runways – these canvas-and-rubber kicks launched in 1917 and endure as the footwear of rebels.
Hoop dreams
Streetwear’s most influential shoe, the Converse All Star has been adapted by a multitude of subcultures and popularised by everyone from James Dean to Kamala Harris. From its humble beginnings as a basketball shoe more than a century ago, the sneaker was improved and promoted widely by player and marketing mastermind Chuck Taylor. By the 1930s, the All Star was being worn by basketball pros across America and Chuck had put his name and signature on the now-iconic ankle patch. Come the 1960s, Converse had released a low-cut version and reportedly controlled 80 per cent of the sneaker market in the United States.
Culture club
No longer just an athletic shoe, in the 1970s “Chucks” made the transition to everyday durable footwear worn by youth seeking self-expression. A cultural shift in the music scene of the 1980s and ’90s saw the All Star laced on some of the most influential artists of the time, including Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain. It became a badge of rebellion – especially when graffitied with permanent marker. Given Converse’s long association with skateboard culture, the sneaker’s reputation as a symbol of insubordination was confirmed.
Generation next
Under the control of Nike Inc., Converse redesigned the shoe that had been largely unchanged since its inception. Released in 2013, the Converse All Star Chuck 70 incorporated vintage details with premium materials, such as heavier-grade canvas and thicker rubber, and retained all the character of the original, while offering a reset for a new era. With its commitment to positive social change, Converse launched the Pride Collection in 2015. Miley Cyrus collaborated on a 2018 Pride capsule range, including a Chuck 70 “Hi” with rainbow-striped uppers.
Among friends
Continuing the shoe’s evolution, Converse has worked with highprofile fashion labels to send the sneaker in different directions. The longstanding Comme des Garçons Play x Converse version has amassed a cult following. The late fashion designer Virgil Abloh reimagined the Chuck 70 with translucent uppers in 2018, representing an X-ray vision of the everyday icon. The next year, Jonathan Anderson partnered with the brand to add the Run Star Hike, a running/hiking hybrid, to the Chuck 70 range and it became a street-style staple. And in 2021, both Kim Jones and Rick Owens offered their own avant-garde designs. With countless creatives leaving their mark on the Converse
All Star Chuck 70 and diehard devotees kicking around in their All Stars, the future looks all tied up for this footwear favourite.