After being founded in 1908, Converse made a name for itself in 1917 by releasing its first-ever performance basketball sneaker, known then simply as the "zapatillas converse baratas mujer." Made up of a canvas upper and rubber sole, the shoe has remained largely unchanged since its debut. While it would be a few more years before the sneaker really took off, the blueprint for the iconic silhouette was laid.Charles Taylor, better known as "Chuck," was an All-American high school basketball player at Columbus High School in Indiana who acquired an affinity for Converse's performance basketball sneaker upon first lacing them up in 1918. While Taylor would never go on to play at the NBA or college level, his mark on the game of basketball is undeniable. IN 1969, Taylor was actually inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for his contributions to the game. Among his fellow inductees in 1969 were legendary coaches Red Auerbach and Adolph Rupp. Who knew that a simple canvas and rubber sneaker would have such an impact on the game?
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While it's common nowadays for signature sneakers lines to release both high and low editions, take the Nike Kobe 9 for example, it would be quite some time before Converse released a low-cut version of its performance basketball shoe. The term "oxford" is footwear lingo for low-cut. In 1962, Converse debuted its oxford model of the zapatillas converse hombre baratas. The sneaker quickly became a favorite of professional players, increasing the shoe's popularity. An interesting trend started developing on the west coast, where the sneaker began representing the region's laid-back and relaxed lifestyle. As all trends tend to do, the fashion statement would eventually migrate to other areas of the country.
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Prior to 1966, the only two colors the zapatillas converse botas were available in were black and white. Converse livened things up a bit in 1966 by adding seven new colorways into the mix in order to coordinate with different teams' color schemes. Today, Chuck Taylors come in just about every color (and print) imaginable, contributing to the sneaker's widespread popularity.Already a hit on the punk rock scene, the Chuck Taylor All-Stars joined the grunge movement when Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain famously wore a beat up pair to the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards. Along with flannel shirts, the worn out, slightly dirty sneakers would go on to be a symbol of the grunge music emanating from the Pacific Northwes.
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The zapatillas converse chuck taylor all star already enjoyed some hip-hop success thanks to rhymes from rappers like Snoop Dogg, The Game and Clipse, but in 2008 the sneaker received its biggest rap endorsement to date with the founding of Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Records. Initially the name of his crew and fan base, the name Taylor Gang is derived from Wiz's love of Chuck Taylor All-Stars, as well as Taylor Allerdice High School in Pittsburgh where he attended. Artists currently signed to Khalifa's imprint include Juicy J, Ty Dolla $ign and Chevy Woods.They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. By 2014, Converse had enough of the impostors and filed 22 different lawsuits for copy right infringement. The brand alleged that companies like Walmart, K-mart, and Skechers were releasing sneakers too similar to the Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Converse believed that it needed to stop the "explosion of knockoff activity" to protect the iconic sneaker's legacy.