Converse shoes might be some of the worlds favorite go to daily sneaker. You own them in every color and style and they seem to go with anything. Some people have even popularized the "wedding Converse" look by bedazzling shoes and making them a memorable piece of an outfit. But have you ever wondered what those little holes on the side of the Check Taylor Converse are for? Here in this list we will let you know, plus some really awesome facts about the ever popular show company.
Most shoe companies change their designs yearly, it is just how fashion and trends work. But the Converse All-Star has remained unchanged and only slightly updated for over 96 years. That is almost a decade of people loving a shoe just the way it is.
The now legendary shoe is not only famous for it's design. Team USA wore Converse All-Stars in their first ever Olympic game back in 1936. Basketball was not a medaled Olympic sport before 1936 but after this year it became more famous than ever and so did the shoes
To put in perspective just how popular these shoes are, in 1997 Converse produced 550 million pairs of Converse All-Stars that year. That was more than any other singular design of shoe anywhere. That is almost one in ten people owning a pair of these shoes.
Chuck Taylor, the designer of the Converse All-Stars was not just the mega sneaker mogul. He was just as important to the evolution of basketball because he was the man who invented the first laceless basketball. Thankfully he didn't copy that design for his shoes.
We all know the love the 90's movie "The Sandlot" and everyone remembers how the PF Flyers were the ideal shoes for the kids in the movie. But that wasn't the only shoe they were wearing. The actors sported Converse All-Stars as well as some All-Star shirts too.
Not only did the first USA basketball team play and lose their first Olympic game in Chucks, but Wilt Chaimberlan scored 100 points while sporting some Chuck Taylors. By 1959 there were other choices of shoes to play in but he stuck with what he knew and broke records doing it.
The ever popular sitcom from way back in the day, "Dennis The Menace" had it's hands on some Converse shoes. The tittle character, Dennis, wore Chuck Taylors while going around the neighborhood terrorizing people ad getting himself into lots of trouble.
Converse may have started off as being the popular shoe for athletes but the culture of the shoe rapidly changed when musicians started to sport Chuck Taylors on the regular, making it part of their outfit and altering them to fit their counter culture lifestyle.
Chuck Taylor may have designed one of the most popular style of shoes ever. And yet while he received worldwide recognition he did not get commission for his work. He did receive a salary and was highly recognized as innovative, but didn't get the whole piece of the pie.
In the 60's Converse All-Star shoes were worn by over 90% of college and professional basketball players. That kind of sneaker monopoly hasn't seen another run in athletic circles in a long time, with Air Jordans coming in second but not close at all in the rankings.
As big as Chuck Taylors shoes were in the NBA, the basketball lover and athlete never made it to the NBA. He did however play semi-pro ball with the original celtics because the NBA wasn't official until over a decade later when Chuck was already settled in his career.
In 1966 Converse had an estimated over 80% share in the sneaker market. That means that more people were wearing Converse shoes than any other shoe in the world. While Chuck was only aiming to produce shoes for athletes, the world followed suit.
In 1971 Chuck Taylor shoes got a major upgrade when Converse introduced suede as an alternative style to the classes look. Having such a lock on the market, Converse was able to make some risky fashion choices and still be able to come out on top.
During WWII soldiers trained in Converse All-Stars. Their success in the athletic industry made them ideal candidates for War time footwear. Also Converse before WWII always had all black toe caps, and rubber soles, and laces. Only after the 1940s did Converse change that.
And finally what you have been waiting for, what are those two extra holes for in Converse shoes? Well one use for them is extra ventilation, but the real reason for those holes is so that you can lace up your shoes in a way that adds a little more snug fit ensuring that you get the perfect fitted shoe overtime!
