Converse
Put on a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars by Converse and bam! You nail instant chill and join a pack of rebels, all at once. Throughout their long history, Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars have appealed to rockers, jocks, artists, and free thinkers. Tie up those Cons and strut your very own piece of Americana.
Leather or canvas uppers, optical white, something metallic and sparkling, or anything in between, you’ll find eBay’s variety of Chuck Taylor All Stars inspiring. eBay’s Converse athletic and casual clothing offers comfortable items for men, women, boys and girls. Whether you run, golf, skateboard, shoot hoops or if you just like great looking casual wear, Converse shoes, clothing and accessories are right for you.
Chuck Taylor was the first of many collaborators at Converse. The styles of Jack Purcell, Nigel Cabourn and John Varvatos, among others, have enriched the Converse brand over the years. Check out the huge variety of Converse shoes, clothing and accessories on eBay.
A Bit of History: Who’s Chuck Taylor, Anyway?
Back in 1923, a basketball player named Charles “Chuck” Taylor joined a team called the All Stars sponsored by the six-year-old Converse Company. They sold lace-up shoes that were lightweight, simple and useful for the sport: canvas uppers; rubber toe cap and sole. Taylor became a salesman for the company and gave basketball clinics in high schools at a time when the game was relatively new. He travelled across America, teaching the basics of basketball, then sold the Converse All Star shoes to the players.
Over time, he made some improvements on the shoe’s design to provide greater flexibility and support, and he added that iconic patch to protect the ankle. The brand became popular among basketball squads across the country, and by 1936, they were named the official shoe of America’s Olympic Basketball team.
By the 1960s, ninety percent of college and pro players were wearing Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars. By then, even non-athletes were getting on board. The simple style appealed to Hunter S. Thompson, who preferred optic white, while The Rolling Stones made Chucks the official shoe of the Steel Wheels Tour in 1989. The Ramones wouldn’t be caught dead without ‘em. These, of course, were merely a few of the counter-culture icons who provided inspiration to the rest of us.
Any Questions?
Who collaborates with Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars?
In 2007, Gap and Converse teamed up by producing a patchwork beige sneaker and donating to The Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa. John Varvatos, another collaborator, designed leather slip-ons, seersucker uppers, and camo uppers, among other signature styles. Nigel Cabourn lent his flair to the 1970 Hi-Top. His version integrates military spec L34 Ventile® in navy outside and grey inside. The Nigel Cabourn laces, round rather than flat, are inspired by mountain rope. These are just some of the designers who have worked with Converse.
How many varieties of Chuck Taylor All Stars Have Been Created?
At one point, Converse designed 500 unique styles of this shoe, so there’s no lack of choice.
Trends and Changes
As the Converse Company began manufacturing shoes a century ago, there have been a few changes, but not many, considering the remarkable longevity of this brand. When first introduced, the Converse All Stars were made in three styles:
- monochromatic black, in canvas and rubber
- all-white canvas shoe with blue and red trim
- all-black leather and rubber shoe
In the 1930s Chuck Taylor’s signature was added to the ankle patch along with the Converse All Stars name. In 1949, Converse worked a slightly modern design: the canvas would be black, the tow cap, laces and rubber outer wrap white, creating the emblematic Converse All Stars look of today. In 1957, they produced a low-cut design called the “Oxford” (“Ox” in today’s parlance) and began producing shoes in assorted colors and prints.
In 2003, Nike bought the Converse brand name. They created an updated version of the old standard with some interesting changes, christening the new design the Chuck II.
Chuck II
Converse introduced the Chuck Taylor All Star II in 2015. It differed from the previous design in both material and structure:
- heavier Tencel canvas
- thicker rubber midsole and foxing using lighter-weight rubber
- new, thicker Lunarlon cushioning
- somewhat smaller toe cap
- two elastic bands at the base of the tongue, to prevent side slippage
- sewn-on ankle patch on the high-tops
- a two-piece rubber bottom sole versus the three-piece sole on the modern All Stars
- heel patch with 3-D letters versus a flat one on the modern All Star
Shortly after Chuck II came out, some special series were released with different canvas textures, such as the Chuck II Knit, the Chuck II Shield Canvas and the Chuck II Rio Open Knit, to commemorate the Rio Olympics. The shoe came in different cuts: hi-top, medium-top, low-top, slip-ons.
Converse at eBay
Whether you select the original Chuck Taylor All Stars or a collaborator’s take on the classic, the high standard of comfort remains the same. At eBay, you will find a broad variety of Converse choices in shoes, clothing and accessories for the whole family.