HISTORY OF HIGH TOPS

WHEN

• Made in 1917
• Oldest, most popular, and best selling basketball shoes
• 60% of American own or owned a pair

OTHER NAMES

• Converse
• All Star
• Chuck Taylor's

HOW IT BECAME POPULAR

• Charles H. Taylor was a basketball player for the Akron Firestones.
• He liked what he saw in the All Star shoe & saw its potential for the sport of BBball
• He believed in the shoe so much that in 1921 he joined the Converse sales force
• later became the player/coach for the Converse All-Stars
• Taylor traveled all across the US hosting basketball clinics & promoting the All Star shoe

Untitled Slide

• 30s Chuck Taylor designed the white high top model for the 1936 Olympics.
• During WW II, Converse served as a captain in the Air Force & coached regional bball teams
• considered an important morale booster for the troops.
• White high top chucks that became the official sneaker of the United States Armed Forces.

Thousands of pairs of high top and low cut chucks are still sold each week worldwide.

Citation:

http://chucksconnection.com/history1.html