When you think of classics in shoes, there may be many in mind but Converse’s are a strong contender. From basketball and the Olympics, to punk-rock and now, in nostalgia based Y2K and alternative styles, Converse has seen and been in it all. To see this illustrious history, we have to go back to 1908, when Marquis Mills made the shoes, with heavily featured rubber in the shoes’ construction. This led to the ‘Converse Rubber Shoe Company.’ In 1917, the Converse All-Star came to be, in its rubber and canvas glory, with black trimmings. Their biggest challenge yet? To achieve success in an era where functionality and usage were all that mattered, leisure be damned. The answer came in the form of the increasing popularity of basketball. There existed a vacuum in the space for what could be deemed “basketball” shoes. Thus, came the opportunity for Converse. Their most significant push came with Chuck Taylor joining Converse and their sales team in 1921, after seeing huge potential in the shoe and its design. Being known widely and with several basketball clinics in the country, where they helped kids learn to play basketball alongside the Converse Basketball Yearbooks which celebrated the culture of basketball. These efforts, in efforts with Chuck Taylor’s clever marketing style ideas, made the shoes and brand synonymous with the game of basketball. One of their most significant changes yet came in 1932 where they added ‘Chuck Taylor’ to the famous ankle detail of the Converse All-Star, wherein the ‘Chuck Taylor All-Star’ came to be. During the 30s, the All-Star became the most famous basketball shoes to be, with players wearing them nationwide. Yet another breakthrough for Converse came in 1936, when Chuck Taylor designed the white hi-top with blue and red accents for the USA’s Olympic Basketball team. During the war, the shoes and Chuck Taylor became larger than life figures which pushed morale with these shoes and their push for basketball and with the shoes becoming the official sneakers for the United States Armed Forces (USAF). After the war, in 1946 once BAA and NBL had merged to form the NBA, the Chuck Taylor All-Star became the shoe for the professionals, college students and anyone who claimed they took basketball seriously. 
The original chuck taylors - Courtesy : Grindkicks

With this popularity, Converse, in 1957 made the ‘Oxfords,’ which were low-top versions for a more casual and alternative style and look. Converse spent the 60s sitting comfortably with 90% of sneaker sales to their name. With Chuck Taylor’s passing in 1969, this dominance began to slip. With brands like Nike coming up, the focus of the crowd began to slowly slip from Converse’s hands. Though this was happening, Converse did retain their popularity with affordable pricing and being a statement for alternative styles and other subcultures and their ‘rebellion.’ This held throughout the 90’s, with involvement in many subcultures such as skaters, punk-rock enthusiasts and the like, though their dominance from the majority in the marketplace had slipped to giants such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok etc. The struggle of relevance came to a climax with Converse filing for bankruptcy in 2003, after which they were bought out by Nike. With various creative campaigns to highlight the importance and presence of Converse in various subcultures throughout the decades, revitalized the love for the Converse and the iconic Chuck Taylor All-Star becoming a beloved part of the sneakerheads and others alike, a piece of sneaker history that join us still, as we figure out what’s next.
Legacy of Chuck Taylors
Chuck 70s
Chuck Taylors Today. Courtesy - Converse