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Conversation and commentary from people who care about chucks. |
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Conversation and commentary from people who care about chucks. |
| How chucks have affected the lives of our readers. | ||
| A look at the trends and new models for people who wear chucks. | ||
| The coverage of chucks in the print media, films, and television. | ||
| A listing of the latest articles and features on this website. | ||
| ChuckTalk articles from previous years. | ||
| Opportunity at The ChucksConnection. The ChuckConnection is looking for one or two regular contributors for our Chuck Talk feature page. If you are a writer with enthusiasm and some knowledge about chucks, contact us at mail@chucksconnection.com. For further information click here. | ||
Shawn Esmaili, a junior at St. Francis High School in Mountain View, California, was able to get hundreds of pairs of shoes that he donated to poor children in Tanzania and in Haiti. His plan was simple: write to different shoe companies and ask for their assistance. One of the shoe companies was Converse, and this picture shows young Haitian children wearing new pairs of black high top chucks.
Passing on the pleasure of wearing Chuck Taylor high tops to a new generation of Haitian kids.
If you want to donate some shoes to young kids, youth sized pairs of chucks are readily available through this website.
Esmaili worked with the K2 Adventures Foundation to get approximately 600 pairs delivered to an orphanage in Tanzania that cares for children struggling with bindness. Without shoes, children suffer from foot fungus which causes their feet and stomachs to swell. Last summer he went to Haiti with Global Family Philanthropy to deliver new shoes for kids still struggling to survive in the years after the devastating earthquakes. Esmaili has his own organization — Youth Against Poverty, which works to connect more teens with groups that work to help poor and impoverished children around the world. He is working to get official nonprofit status. His website is www.youthagainstpoverty.com.
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Converse has announced that its core red chucks will now be sold as part of their Product Red program. The classic red high top now is sold in a beige and red cardboard box, wrapped in tissue paper that contains the slogan "There is no such thing as small change." The shoes come with a Product Red tag tied to the top eyelet on the left shoe. There is no change to the shoes themselves excpet with the eighth or top pair of lacing eyelets on each shoe. Instead of a plain (or red colored eyelet you see on other Product Red shoes), there is a silver eyelet with the word "red" embossed on it. The insoles also have the Product Red logo imprinted in red and black. So the next time you buy a pair of classic core red chucks, you will be supporting the Product Red program.
Inside patch view of a left classic red core high top Chuck Taylor shoe..
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There is a YouTube video of a percussion group called the Cocoa Rhythm Factory. The group has four players and each player wears a different color of high top chucks that mattches their shirt and baseball caps. Their set up is quite portable so that they can bring their act just about anywhere. You can see a complete video of one their performances at Hershey Park on YouTube.com. A few sample captures are below.
Left to right: Cocoa Rhythm Factory getting set up, several players in performance, guy in red high tops playing the glockenspiel.
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We have seen people wearing chucks just about everywhere, so it was a pleasant surprise to see our First Lady, Michele Obama, sporting a pair of black low cuts in a recent photo of a White House event. As we continually say on this website, chucks are for all ages and all people. More than ever, chucks are a popular fashion these days. Now if we only could get Barack Obama to wear a pair...
Michele Obama cavorting on the White House lawn with the youth of America.
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Over the years, we have seen an opera, numerous musicals, and plays where characters wear chucks as part of their costuming. But would you ever expect to see Shakespearean actors wearing high tops chucks during a performance?
That's exactly what the Reduced Shakespeare Company does. The three man group from the UK puts on a comedy review where they claim to present all of Shakespeare's works (abridged) in a single evening performance. During their performance they wear Elizabethan costumes but their footwear is black, pine green, and maroon high top chucks. Their performance is a great spoof on the works of Shakespeare involving audience participation, and funny bits like presenting Othello as a rap song and Titus Andronicus as a cooking show.
Their chucks are actually a very good choice of footwear for their performance which includes a lot of running around and pratfalls. Acorn Media has put their show out on a DVD which you can purchase from their website at www.acornmedia.com.
Adam Long, Reed Martin, and Austin Tichenor are the actors of the Reduced Shakespeare Company.
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Don Martin is an auctioneer living in Colorado who loves his red high top chucks. He has some great stories about his chucks and the auctions that he has worked.
"I’ve been wearing chucks on and off since the early sixties. Nine years ago I decided to make them my signature shoe whenever I performed an auction. I exclusively wear red high top chucks and anyone that sees me at one of my charity events will recognize me as the auctioneer even if they might have forgotten the face that goes with them. I auctioned off my chucks at one event a few years back for $3500 to a patron who then gave them to a teenage boy sitting next to him. He handed them to the boy and said, 'Even Michael Jordan doesn’t wear $3500 sneakers'. I have five pair going at any given time so that I always have a super clean pair for when I’m on stage."
If you would like to see Don in action at an auction, check out this video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=don+martin+auctioneer%5C&aq=f
Don goes on to say, "A few years back I came up with the idea for a cool tattoo of an American Eagle holding a pair of red Cons in its talons and had it done on my leg. See the picture below. It came out really well and draws a lot of comments. Thanks for listening……keep up the good work on the site."
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Scott Rainey, a middle school teacher from Vancouver, Washington has started a campaign on Facebook to bring the manufacture of chucks back to the USA. Here is what he has to say:
I would like to invite you and any other Chuck Taylor All-Star enthusiasts to join my grassroots effort via Facebook to "Bring Chuck Home." For the past nine years, my beloved chucks have been shoddily made overseas. Chucks had a reputation for being long-lasting, durable, and an American icon. I believe that Nike, with its impressive bottom line, could and should be convinced by a movement of the people to restore production of those most American of shoes back in America. With so many Americans out of work, what kind of a coup would it be for Nike to be seen as the savior of the American working man and woman? And what better way to do it than through such an emblematic item as the Chuck Taylor All-Star?
I realize that such an undertaking is iffy at best, but we've all seen the impact Facebook and other social networking sites can have. Would you consider joining me, a 40-year-old middle school history teacher and lifelong Chuck Taylor All-Stars wearer, in bringing Chuck back home? Here's a direct link to my Facebook page. Thanks so much.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=105016276203932
We will post a more substantial article by Mr. Rainey shortly.
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Recently we received an email from a student named Alex Hurtarte who said he had made some advertisements for Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars. Although these were not commissionsed by Converse, we thought you might enjoy looking at them. If other people have short films about chucks, we would be interested in posting links to those also.
Converse Ad #1 "They Are For All Stars"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TqvRk1UqT8&feature=channelConverse Ad #2 "Be Yourself"
Purple chucks have been around for a long time as a seasonal color, but they never were produced in large quantites. For a while, in the earlier part of this decade, there were even years when no purple chucks were manufactured. Lately Converse has been making a lot of new models in purple shades. At the writing of this article, colors like aster purple, purple passion, and Port Royale were all available as seasonal models. With their ever increasing popularity, chucks in all colors and shades are being worn over the world, and at last purple is all the rage, or should we say rage purple, another popular shade that has been manufactured. But like all seasonal colors there is no guarantee that they will be continued to be manufactured after that one season. So if purple is your favorite color, when you see a shade of purple you like, buy it now!
Purple High Tops Photo Gallery
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Now available for the first time, Converse has introduced the Mid High Top model for chucks lovers who want the look of the high top but not all of the height. This new line of sneakers comes right now in four colors, black, charcoal, royal blue, and white.
To order a pair or get more information about sizing and availability, click here to go the the mid high top section on our home page. Then just click on the icon of the model you would like to purchase.
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The latest wrinkle in the double line of seasonal chucks is the layer up model. Just released in the summer of 2009, the shoe combines a low cut model with a high top. The first issues came in red and black and charcoal and pink. Future issues will be made in yellow and black, black and white, white and Moraccan blue
Inside patch view of a left black and red layer up high-low chuck.
Click on this link to see our current photo gallery of layer up chucks.
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Look for The ChucksConnection on Facebook. Just search for The ChucksConnection or click on this link and you will find us. Become a friend and get tidbits and other information about new features and what's going on at The ChucksConnection
Look for the ChucksConnection at Facebook.com.
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Double details high top chucks were first made for the 2008-2009 season. Everything that normally is in pairs has been doubled in quantity. There are double the lacing eyelets and four eyelets for breathing. All the stitching is in groups of four instead of two on the canvas uppers. The piping on the outer wrap has been doubled. Double details chucks have been made in low cut versions also. To see a photo gallery of double details high top chucks, click here.
Inside patch view of a left black double details high top chuck.
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Who would have thought that the release of a $100 a pair model of a black high top chuck would make such a splash on its debut. Well that is exactly the case with the new Hollywood Lupe Fiasco patent leather black high top released this spring by Converse. It is a shoe in the Product Red line, which is part of the reason for the high cost, but for some reason this particular model has caught the attention of the fashionistas, and our affiliate store tells us that this particular model is flying off their shelves.
Inside patch view of a left Hollywood Lupe Fiasco patent leather high top chuck.
Right now you can order these at The ChucksConnection, so if you would like a pair, act now. Just go to the home page, click on the Buy High Tops link, and then scroll down or use the addional link to get to the leather high tops section. You can be sure that these will sell out soon, due to the high demand.
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A recent article in USA Weekend magazine discussed the foot problems of people who wear flip-flops a lot. The cheap sandals apparently cause long term damage to your feet, especially if you wear them for extended periods of time. Some of the problems incurred included sore feet, ankles, and legs. They can also cause calluses and cuts and sores in between your toes. The other issue is that your feet are not protected at all when you are out walking or going out places with flip-flops on.
The article went on to state that “podiatrists have taken a stand against the ubiquitous sandals: Flip-flopping is out.” Long term wear of flip-flops can be very damaging to young people’s feet and it advises parents to have their children wear athletic shoes instead of flip-flops for most of the day. They even show a picture of a young girl lacing up a pair of pink high top chucks.
Protect your feet. Lace up a pair of high top chucks!
At The ChucksConnection , we strongly endorse what they are saying. The best shoes for summer leisure activities, games and just kicking back are a pair of chucks. They are lightweight, the canvas breathes, and once broken in you hardly even realize that you are wearing them. So get into a new tradition and protect your feet at the same time. When spring and summer rolls in, get yourself a new pair of chucks. Then kick back and enjoy the freedom and leisure fun that summer and wearing a pair of chucks represents.
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Look for some new features and products on this website. There may be a recession going on, but there still are a lot of good things happening in the world of chucks. As always, new models of chucks are being manufactured and distributed. You can always find the latest selection on our home page. There is a great line up of new chucks coming out this year. You can see a preview in our Chucks Outlook feature. The page now includes a Flash slidehow of all the upcoming releases. There are now available a whole new line of tee shirts, baseball caps, and even a zippered grey sweatshirt with the Chuck Taylor ankle patch logo on them. You can access these new items also on our home page now. We have added a lot more picture links there to make it easier for you to find and purchase them. You can also get to our clothing shopping areas by clicking on the links at the bottom of any feature page on The ChucksConnection site.
In the next few months many of our pages and features will be updated with new looks, including more Flash animation features. Check out our new comic strip about chucks called The Chucks Life. We are planning monthly installments of the strip all year. The fourth Hunter & Holmes mystery, Family Matters, has just been made available online and more are in the planning stages. A new photo feature about people who wear chucks called Living in the City is now posted and will be updated every few months. New colors of shoelaces will become available also this year, and our inventory will be expanded so that you can buy our various laces in everything from extra fat to narrow sizes and in many different lengths and styles.
The world of chucks is alive and well, and everywhere we go, we see more people wearing them. So don't despair about the economy! Eventually that will get better. Right now enjoy the simple pleasures that don't cost a lot, like a new pair of chucks, or new shoelaces, or a new tee shirt, or one of our books with a chucks theme. The most important thing, chucks lovers, is that you stay laced!
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What city streets have these chucks been traveling on?
If you like to people watch, you can go onto the streets of any city in America and find lots of people who like to wear chucks. We thought it would be fun to start featuring some of those people in photo shoots. So every few months, we plan to run photo essays of people wearing chucks with pictures and flash animation slide shows. The first edition of Living in the City is now posted in our photo gallery. Click here to view the gallery.
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Why sit around playing video games when you can check out the latest Hunter & Holmes mystery?
The second novel in the Hunter & Holmes mystery series, Double Fugue is now available as an online book. The first novel in the series, The Kidnapping, focused on Jason a lot while the second novel has more to do with Daniel and his musical interests. The title refers to the two intertwining stories of the book, and the psychological impact that its events have on the two characters (besides Jason and Daniel) that this novel is about. The main story line involves Daniel and his chance meeting with rock star Ethan Savage who is retiring from the music business and planning to give away most of his huge fortune from recording and publishing rights. When Daniel accidentally witnesses Ethan's mysterious disappearance and reappearance, he become involved in a very strange and troubling set of circumstances that end up having a major impact on his life. Daniel also discovers that there are many facets to music as he explores the pop side and learns about the concert/classical side through his interactions with Ethan Savage, Jason's friend Robert Fischer, and local educator and conductor David Molinari. The other story line in Double Fugue begins when Marilyn and Jorge Ferreira, Jason's neighbors from down the block, knock on his door one evening and tell him how worried they are about their young nephew, 14-year-old Eric Acosta, who lives in Springdale, a small Monterey County town 70 miles south of the Silicon Valley. Eric apparently has been attacked and victimized, but refuses to talk about it with anyone, and seems to be withdrawing from communication with any adult, including his very concerned mother. Marilyn thinks that maybe Jason could get through to him, and asks him if he would be willing to try. Based on his own experiences as a crime victim and what he is told by the Ferreiras, Jason immediately senses that Eric has been victimized by a serious predator, and he and Daniel, along with their adult friend and advisor, Mr. Joe Connor, quickly set out to visit Eric and try to get him to reveal what happened. What they discover and become involved in is quite disturbing and gut wrenching!
Double Fugue is now available as an online e-book from The ChucksConnection. The mysteries are designed for readers who are 13 years and older. The online edition is the full hard cover edition, with over 30 full color illustrations and even a special music supplement. Click on the link to order the complete Hunter & Holmes mystery novel Double Fugue.
There are now five mysteries available with a sixth on the way. Check them out at the Hunter & Holmes website, hunterandholmes.com.
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Laces too long? Get the right size at The ChucksConnection!
We often see photos that people take of themselves wearing their chucks. Many times they don't know what to do with their laces. This is because the Converse Company continues to put one length fits all laces in most of their Chuck Taylor shoe products. In the 1990s they used to be too short for the typical high top and a little long for the low cut. Now the high top model get laces that are approximatley 60 inches or so in length. So a lot of people don't know what to do with the extra lengths of laces on each shoe. The slide show about shows you some examples and some of the solutions which include winding the extra lace around the top of the shoe or coming up with an elaborate lacing idea to hide the excess or use it up.
We have a much better solution. Get yourself some classic laces in the right length for you shoe model. Generally this means a 45 inch lace for models with seven pairs of eyelets, a 54 inch lace for models with eight pair of eyelets, and 63 inch laces for models with nice pairs of eyelets. And of course you can get your laces in many different styles and colors. But whatever you do, stay laced!
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The ChucksConnection is pleased to announce a new mystery series is now available on this website. The Hunter and Holmes Mysteries are about two teenaged boys, Jason Hunter and Daniel Holmes, living in the Silicon Valley in northern California who keep geting involved in solving crimes or unusual events that affect their lives. One fun feature of the series is that these kids are dedicated wearers of chucks. Jason always has on his red high top chucks and would be rocker Daniel always wears black high tops. These two kids and some of their friends are part of tthe local "chucks club" environment, and there are some great comments about chucks that pop up in the dialogue.
"The game is afoot!"
The mystery series is written by Aiden Vaughan with illustrations by Ricardo Carmona and graphics by Kurt Eberhardt. How do two carefree teenagers who like spending their summers days playing sports, riding their bikes, hanging out with their friends, or playing video games end up becoming detectives? As you will quickly see in the explosive first novel The Kidnapping, the answer is by becoming a crime victim. One pleasant summer day, Jason Hunter disappears without any trace or sign of a struggle from a public city park. No one, including the police missing persons unit, can figure out how he was taken or for that matter how it was even possible since Jason didn't even know he was going to the park until that morning. And why would kidnappers want to target a kid from an average middle class family, when there are so many more wealthy families around?
Right now you can read the first three chapters of The Kidnapping, the first book in the series, for free on this site, a ChucksConnection exclusive! The Kidnapping is being released as an online book, and you can purchase an online version of the entire novel in its hard cover edition for the very low price of a paperback book. If you like mysteries with hobby detectives, you will really like this modern take on the genre!
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The Hunter and Holmes Mysteries by AIden Vaughan are a ChuckConnection.com Exclusive!
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Recently, we received an email from Nick in Wisconsin:
"I don't have a photo to send you, but a couple of years back, I went to a "Parade of Homes" on our area (a tour of 8-10 new homes professionally decorated). One home had a basement rec room that was decorated in a "Sports Bar" theme. On the bar, they had a pair of Converse red canvas hi-tops, that they were using as condiment holders. I'm guessing that the toe section was stuffed with tissue paper, etc to hold its shape, and the shoe was laced up to the 5th or 6th. eyelet. The open top held 2-3 bottles of condiments (the red and yellow plastic squeeze bottles of mustard & ketchup).
"Sorry, cameras were not allowed on the tour, so I don't have a photo to include, but I bet if you created a new category "Decorating With Chucks", and provided a briief description of what you are looking for, people would begin to send in photos, and also start thinking of creative ways to include their favorite shoes in their decorating. (PS: I'm 52 and my favorites are my red canvas hi-tops)."
Well, we thought about this one for a while. Did we really want to go there?
But, of course, curiosity took over and we had a brainstorm about it. Here are some thoughts:
If you are going to do condiments, then you would need different colored high tops (or low cuts for smaller jars like jellies), like red for ketchup, green for pickle relish, yellow for mustard, white for horseradish or mayonaise. But why stop at condiments. Why not use the high tops for wine bottles, (red, white, pink), beer bottles (brown and natural white).
Don't stop at the kitchen! Go get some of those square plastic or glass trophy cases and you can display new or used chucks of any type of color. Another cool idea would be to take a clear plastic base and fill it with all of your used chucks. It would grow in stature over the years and even hold up an end table or a coffes table. Or go green with your chucks, and put potted plants in them. Imagine having a walkway of chucks filled with annuals!
And don't forget the little Chuck Taylor high top key rings. You can get these little mini sized high tops, and attach the ring or chain to an old fashioned pull switch (or maybe you should get your electrical brought up to code instead!). You could make little mobiles with them and hang them on the ceiling.
The best idea so far, however, is to have your chucks bronzed. That looks so cool (See feature below)
These are today's helpful decorating hints. If you have more ideas send them in (with photo of course) to our ChuckTalk email address.
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With the high price of oil and problems of global warming looming over America and the world, more and more attention is being paid to the green movement. Emphasis is being placed on enviromentally friendly ways of doing things and ways to reduce our dependence on oil. At the same time, we are noticing a lot more green Converse issues! Is this a coincidence or a statement about our future? Just looking at the current green models available, there are a dozen different high top and low cut models in shades of green, and green is also used in multi color chucks like the new rap bandana high top.
Bright green and trekking green high top chucks.
Back in the 1980s and early 1990s, pine green was a core color issue for chucks, but that was ended in the late 1990s, just before the bankruptcy. But every year there have been interesting seasonal issues since the company was reorganized in this century. Some of the recent green issues are bog green, bright green, Celtic green, grapeleaf, kelly green , neon green, oil green, pine green, and trekking green. So whether you like very bright or neon colors or the more forest-like dark green there is a Chuck Taylor high top or low cut model waiting for you. Click here to view our recently redone green high top photo gallery.
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If you are the type of Internet user who likes to contribute to blogs, check out this new blog about Converse shoes. Set up by ClassicSportShoes webmaster Sage Fulton, the blog already has some interesting personal comments about chucks, and pictures and information about upcoming rock band influenced releases, including ones for The Who and Pink Floyd.
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As past of their Converse Century marketing campaign, the Converse Company has issued a new line of high top chucks that honor the life and music of Seattle rocker Kurt Cobain. Although Cobain had a tragically short life, his music made a big impact in the punk rock grunge music scene, and Converse has designed these shoes to appeal to that crowd first, but in general to continue their line of rock and roll original commemorative issues.
The Kurt Cobain Signature high top and the Kurt Cobain Lyrics high top.
There are three different models that have come out in the summer of 2008, the Kurt Cobain signature high top, the black and white lyrics high top, and the white and black doodles high top. The shoes come with special tags. There is a circular tag that identifies the series as part of their Rock & Roll original. A second tag describes Cobain this way: "He haunted Seattle's music scene, withdrawing into its grit and grime. He thought some of it made sense, but most of it didn't. So he turned to the only thing he knew for sure: his own music. Soon it became clear: the inspired songwriter with the scruffy hair and stormy eyes had taken the underground grunge movement mainstream."
The Signature model has an embroidered signature on the outside uppers, a fabric ankle patch, and preworn look on the rubber foxing and toe cap. The laces also have a worn look, and are more like the original Converse laces. The insole has the slogan "punk rock means freedom." These are made in Viet Nam. One nice feature about this line is that they are available in half sizes as well as whole. Purists won't like the fact that there is a embroidered patch instead of the normal vinyl ankle patch and that the stitching on the back of the shoe is white instead of black, like the high tops Cobain would have worn.
The Lyrics model is traditional black and white, and has excepts from different songs printed on the canvas uppers and on the inner soles. One other cool feature is writing on the inside of the white wrap — "Reward if found. K. Cobain". This model is made in China and uses all black stitching. and the ankle patch is black and white only. The lyric lines include "I'm not like them but I can pretend" and "I came as you are." The insole writing is a commentary on his lyrics: "My lyrics are a big pile of contradictions, down the middle between very sincere opinions and feelings I have that are sarcastic and hopefully humorous."
The white Doodles model has different sketches from Cobain's notebooks, and the same reward inscription on the white outside wrap.
To view a photo gallery of Kurt Cobain series high tops, click here.
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Multilayer high tops are part of the special commemorative seasonal chucks issued to celebrate the one hundredth year of the Converse Company.
Royal and red and black and orange multilayer high tops.
The idea of one hundred designs was also a way to incorporate the word "red" into the mix, as hundRED. The multilayer concept is another variation on the chucks manufacturing process. In the past few years, all kinds of variations have been designed, including double tongues, double uppers, multiple eyelets, and a multicultural look. So far there have been three multilayer models issued, a Product Red royal blue and red with red laces, a regular issue black and orange (shown here with orange laces), and a Product Red white and red. Their catalog also shows a light grey model, but that has not been released. The multiple layers of canvas are in different colors. The royal blue model has over 15 layers of canvas, while the black model has 10 layers. One idea for wear is that the user could tear or cut patterns into the canvas layer to make different designs. But the multiple layers also make these shoes ideal for wearing chucks in cold weather. With all of the extra canvas layers, the shoe eyelets are set down a little bit farther than normal, so if you plan on changing the shoelaces, get a pair with extra length.
To view a photo gallery of multilayer high tops, click here.
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2008 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Converse Company by Marquis Converse. While the company has radically changed in size and focus since those early days when Converse manufactured rubber products like galoshes, Converse athletic shoe products like the Chuck Taylor All Star remain American icons. While this anniversary isn't particularly meaningful in the history of the Chuck Taylor shoe, it's still an excuse to celebrate. Converse has been issuing a lot of extra models this year including shoes that have this century print on them.
Inside patch and outside views of a right black, white and orange century print high top.
This particular graphic design with the white circles and orange logo features was first introducted on their Fall, 2008 catalog cover. Although the catalog shows high and low top models in orange and black and gold and white, the black, white, and orange model that you see in the photos was the one actually released. These shoes are available in half sizes and have a special inner lining print that has repeated Converse century text with the star in a circle. The ankle patches and heel patches are different because they are accented with orange rather than black or blue stars.
To see a photo gallery of the black Converse Century print high top, click here.
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Modesto, California principal Douglas Fraser has a unique way of reaching out to his students: Every Friday he wears a different pair of high top chucks to school, and any student who wears a pair of chucks to school on that day that matches somehow their color is eligible to win a prize. On a typical Friday, dozens of Lakewood students will take him up on the challenge by wearing their own pairs of chucks to school.
The program all started in 1993 when Fraser wrote the Converse Company to ask for a million dollar endorsement deal. Although they not surprisingly rejected the deal, Converse did agree to send him pairs of shoes, and over the years have shipped him over one hundred pairs.
"I thought it would be just a great conversation piece, so I wore them on a Friday and the kids just thought they were really cool," Fraser said. "The whole idea really was that kids should never be scared of having to meet or talk with their principal." With so many pairs to choose from, Fraser has sported all kinds of different prints, patterns, and seasonal colors, as well as core colors, and his favorite, well worn purple high tops that was one of his first pairs.
High top chucks have a unique look and are always noticed when you wear a pair. Why not use them as an icebreaker and a way to bridge the generation gap?
You can read a complete article from the Modesto Bee about Fraser and his weekly wear chucks to school day by clicking on this link.
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White retro shoelaces on core high top chucks; red retro shoelaces on core low cut chucks.
The selection of shoelaces to customize your chucks has never been greater. Now in addition to classic flat athletic or fat shoelaces in a wide variety of colors, you can get retro laces. Retro laces are a throwback to the 1950s and 1960s when the laces issued with chucks were wider than the laces we see now. They are 1/2 inch wide instead of the usual 3/8 inch standard lace but thinner than fat laces which range in width from 3/4 to 7/8 inches. They look great on your high top or low chucks. You can get them in 45" and 54" length. Click here to see a photo gallery of Retro Shoelaces on High Top Chucks. Click here to see a photo gallery of Retro Shoelaces on Low Cut Chucks.
Black and white checkered print shoelaces on core high top chucks; red and silver star print shoelaces on core low cut chucks.
Another popular alternative in shoelace are the print shoelaces that have images or patterns. Two of the most popular are black and white checkered laces and laces with star patterns. The ChucksConnection now carries both styles. Best of all, you can get either style in 45" or 54" lengths, unlike mall stores that only carry them in 45" lengths. Print laces look good in a variety of different lacing pattern besides the traditional ones shown here. They can be worn rolled or flat, or in a combination. Click on the links to view a photo gallery of black and white checkered laces or red star print laces.
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Earlier this year Target Stores and Converse announced that they had teamed up for a new line of One Star shoes that would be carried in all of the national chain's stores. This was a step up for Target, as their shoe line consisted primarily of cheap knockoffs of various types of athletic shoes. You know the type, not in a box but displayed opening on racks and for cut rate prices. Now there would be a complete line of One Stars, and Target would be selling an actual brand name athletic shoe.
The original Converse One Star had suede leather uppers.
If you are not familiar with One Stars, they were first issued in the 1980s as Converse's answer to the skateboard craze. They were low cut models, with suede uppers in dark colors like black, navy, or hunter green. The shoes had the basic Chuck Taylor sole, but had different stitching on the sides and back, and a white star that shows through on the sides. They changed the toe cap design, eliminating the white rubber cap, and the suede material went all the way to the toe guards in the front of the shoe. The diamond studded toe guard was made differently also, featuring a single row of small stars. The outer sole were similiar to the familiar Chuck Taylor pattern, but had a One Star imprint and were colored grey. The One Star line had some popularity, but never caught the public's imagination like the Chuck Taylor line did. They were only issued on a seasonal basis, and not every season, and just a couple of issues since the bankruptcy.
A black One star canvas high top; a red oxford low cut.
So this seemed like a good move for Converse, getting renewed functionality out of a shoe line that wasn't going anywhere. Recently The ChucksConnection went to our local Target store to check out the new line. There is one black suede model like the original One Stars, which is the most expensive at $39.95. They also advertise an all-white skateboarder shoe and a big star leather basketball shoe at the same price (although these were not available at the store we checked out). The rest of the line seems like cheap knockoffs of the Chuck Taylor lines that are popular. They all price at around $29.95. There is a black high top, low cut models in blue, white, red, pink, black, and camouflage ($5.00 more), and a couple of slip on and skidgrip models. Unfortunately the workmanship on the new models doesn't seem very high quality. All of the toe caps were cut off in half moon shapes and not aligned with the uppers, like you see in the photographs. It just seemed like you were buying second rate chucks instead of first rate One Stars. Other than the two more expensive suede upper models, all the other shoes seemed like Chuck Taylor wannabes. Imagine, Converse making its own "buddies"! One good thing about them was the fact that they were all available in half sizes, something that Converse has eliminated on most of its seasonal Chuck Taylor issues and is very annoying to customers who wear half sizes. In the long run, they would be better off launching a line that looks like the One Star all the way through, instead of most of the line looking like cheap chucks. For example, a black suede high top that looked like the original One Star low cut, would be more competitive with similar models made by Vans and other skateboard shoe manufacturers. Since you have to pay $39.95 anyway for a good One Star pair, why not just stock real Chuck Taylor canvas shoes? They're still the best!
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It all began long years ago, when I was a teenager...
I wanted to have a pair of high top chucks, but my mother didn't like them! She said a lot of things: they're gonna distort my feet, they're much too expensive for a textile shoe, they're gonna stink, I deserve a better quality shoe...
And, disapointed because lots of my friends had them, I had to obey her. So I got used to harder sport shoes, leather ones, and trekking models...
But I always liked the look of Converse. This summer I decide to buy a pair. Even if they're not comfortable, I would wear them when I don't have to walk long distances. I'm old enough to decide what to buy!
I went to a store, and fell in love with two models: violet (or purple) high tops, and orange with blue inside low cut. I bought them both! I couldn't resist! To my surprise, I have to say they're much more comfortable than what I expected! I wear them all day long!
People from all over the world like to wear chucks.
Mum was wrong! I don't know why lots of mothers don't like chucks, but they should change their minds! Mine are made in Brasil (I live in Argentina) and I don't know how they were made in the '60s or '70s, or the USA made... But I have to say I'm very happy with my two pairs, and I'm gonna buy some more, very soon!
Long live chucks!!!
With happy feet and a great look
Analia Wainer
Buenos Aires, Argentina
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While there are many child actors that we see for a film or two, it takes real talent, perserverance (and a good agent!) to constantly work in the film industry on quality projects. The icing on the cake for chucks enthusiasts is when these talented actors wear chucks in their films. And even better is when you discover that these actors really like their chucks, and wear them off camera all the time.
Anton Yelchin is climbing the heights of Hollywood in black high top chucks.
One of these rising young stars is Anton Yelchin. He has now appeared in four major films wearing black high top or low cut chucks. In Hearts in Atlantis Yelchin appeared with Anthony Hopkins as a young boy who comes of age one hot summer. In Jack, he plays a young high school student who goes through a family and personal crisis when his parents break up because his dad reveals that he is gay. In Fierce People he plays a teenager who learns the hard way that the mores and life styles of very rich have a lot in common with those of an aboriginal tribe his anthropologist father has been studying. And in Charlie Bartlett Yelchin plays a teenager from a very wealthy family who must learn to cope and fit in with regular people when he has to attend a public school for the first time. In House of D, he plays the young Tom Warshaw living in the 1970s and wears white high tops. Each of these roles is a major leading part, and Yelchin has handled them with style and a screen pressence that commands your attention. Yelchin already has a very impressive list of performances and should continue to develop into a major star. Let's hope that he keeps on lacing up his chucks in future roles.
Michael Angarano is the young man in black high top chucks in the 2007 release Man in the Chair.
Michael Angarano is another promising young actor who like to wear chucks on and off camera. His first major film role was Sky High, where he lit up the screen in red high top chucks as the freshman son of two superheroes attending a special high school for kids with superpowers. His only problem: he didn't know what his powers were. Recent appearances in black high tops have been in The Final Season and Man in the Chair where he plays a budding young filmmaker who enlists the aid of old retired Hollywood professionals to help him make a film for a contest. Angarano has already shown his abilities in a wide variety of roles and he has a bright future ahead of him. Let's hope he continues to stay laced in chucks on screen wherever possible.
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In the last dozen years, we have noted that many people who train by lifting weights have been doing so in pairs of high top chucks.
One such weight lifter, Jason Ferruggia, offers these tips:
"Flat soled sneakers such as Chuck Taylor's are great for allowing the lifter to spread the floor and place most of the emphasis on his posterior chain."
Wear Chuck Taylor's for leg days -- a running shoe is unstable and potentially dangerous. A shoe with a heel puts you in a weaker position because the focus is shifted to the quadriceps and not the stronger hamstring and glute muscles. If you feel more comfortable with an elevated heel it is because you have poor flexibility and or weak hams and glutes. Old school Ponys, Pumas, and Adidas Campus also fit the bill for shoes to train in. And whichever shoe you choose, tie them."
It seems that too many people dismiss chucks as a leisure shoe and not appropriate footwear for sports training. Yet somehow all of those basketball players did great things in their chucks, and chucks have been acceptable footwear for many other traditional and extreme sports as well. If only Converse was aware of the potential they have here...
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Chuck Taylor All Stars. If they're not on your feet maybe they should be in your display case!
How many of the 600 million plus Converse All Stars have been bronzed?
My mother never had a pair of my baby shoes bronzed. I decided when I was in my thirties to bronze a pair of my All-stars and send them to my mother. I got them back from the bronzer and they were so cool I kept them. I am in my middle fifties now and still have them.
I have been all over the world and worked, played, explored and even made sandals out of them. The fastest I wore out a pair was walking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up.
A picture says it all.
Best regards, Dorman Nelson
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Recently we received this e-mail from Brian McLaughlin:
Being a wearer of chucks since the single digits, I absolutely love your site. I have worn them off and on my entire life and am even wearing a pair right now as I type this e-mail.
My production comany is about to release an indie feature I shot in Central California. It is entitled "Inspiration Point" and is a coming of age story about an Irish American teen who, while trying to avoid confirmation, ends up bringing his town together, disguised as a polar bear. It's a fun family film.
Bo Bo at the Inspiration Point lighthouse.
Because the main character is autobiographical, I had him wear chucks in most of the film. Converse sponsored us for product placement and ended up getting more than imagined--they made it front and center onto the poster art and DVD case. We had a great time doing this film and I loved getting Chuck Taylors into the picture!
DVD cover insert for Inspiration Point.
The ChucksConnection will keep you posted on this the status of this new film and when it is released will let you know more.
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Now that Converse has released a number of double upper models of chucks high tops, the question remains, how should you actually wear them? There are so many options, as these shoes come with two sets of laces and have double tongues as well. Do you lace up both uppers all the way, or one up all the way and the other partially, or do you just lace up the inside upper, and leave the outer upper without laces?
Chocolate and sienna double uppers laced up on both uppers.
The latest models seem better made than the first editions. These chucks have the traditional piping and better color combinations than those first models. It takes a little bit of getting used to when you start to wear them. Once they are "set" in the way you like to lace them up, you will gradually figure out the best way to unlace them so that they are easy to put on again. Probably the easiest way is with only one set of laces and the top tongue folded down just past the lacing slot that is sewn into the upper tongue.
Black and brick red double upper high tops with one set of laces, and one tongue folded over.
Another variation would be to cut one of the long laces in half, and just lace the outer upper part of the way. That way you get some of the double laced look without getting in the way of where you actually tie the shoes.
Brown and navy blue double upper with the Chuck Taylor tag tucked inside.
Not using the second set of laces, or even if partially laced gives you some extra storage places in your chucks. You can take Chuck Taylor along by tucking the keychain tag that comes with each pair in between the two uppers. There are many more variations possible. If you have a cool way of wearing a pair of double uppers send in the information and a photo, and we will post it on the website.
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Jon from Montana sent in this report:
Chucks are an original American icon. I try to wear mine everyday. I have two active pairs right now, my old black high-tops and my new black high-tops. I usually only wear my new ones to school, it gets the girls! I wear mine in PE class, I can run really fast in them. Other than school, I don't wear my new ones that much, because when they look a little dirty they have more style!
Winter in Montana is a drag, there is three feet of snow on the ground and that makes it hard to wear chucks, because they let in the cold air, and moisture. No worries if I'm in the house. I wear mine like slippers just not outside! In the summertime I wear mine everyday, they are ventilated so my feet don't sweat.
When I used to have a paper route, if the weather was nice like in the summer I would wear my old navy blue chucks that were my first pair on the route. I think paperboys looked cool walking their routes with them, me and my friends wore them all the time. I still have the old navy ones that I used to wear on the paper route. I put them back in their box that they were bought in; now they sit up on my shelf enjoying retirement! I take them down and look at them now and then and remember the day I first received my first pair of Convese Chuck Taylor All Star shoes!
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The latest wrinkle, or should we say rip, on the Chuck Taylor high top is new model called the "tear away". The shoes come with two layers of print canvas. The top layer is a black and white print but there are some strategically placed holes on the uppers that can be grabbed to rip off the top layer and reveal a brighter print underneath. The inside ankle patch is placed on the inner layer but it is completely revealed by a circular hole cut in the upper layer of canvas.
The shoes come with a special new tag. On the front you see a Converse logo in black and white, with a little big of tear picutred in the upper right hand corner revealing a color print. The rear side has this inscription: "Chuck Taylor All Star Tear Away. To tear or not to tear: Customize your kicks by ripping away the top layer to reveal a second print."
To see a complete photo gallery of a pair of tear away chucks, click here.
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The ChucksConnection is always happy to receive a report from our correspondent John giving us the latest news about chucks from Australia:
Everyone who loves their chucks will have different individual elements of the beloved design they like most, or perhaps it’s the overall package. Some love brand new chucks while others love them through the various stages of wear, right down to what is known as trashed. Some people just wear them, get them out of the box and throw them on, others love that new smell and others will want to ensure that the laces are just right, no twisting, exactly equal or that both shoes are a mirror image of each other. We know that over the years, as well as the original chucks from the original Converse plant in the USA, Chucks have been made in Vietnam (most non-core colours still are), Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines and now of course China. In fact, while the USA and some other parts of the world had access to “genuine” USA made chucks, other parts of the market were supplied with chucks made elsewhere. For example, throughout the 80’s, Australia received chucks made in Thailand which were distinctly different in many detailed ways, for those of you who study these things, to the original USA made chucks. Then Converse was sold (or should that be rescued) by Nike and production was sent offshore to China and Vietnam .
Every now and then, probably to contain costs, the plants at which chucks are made are changed. This happened during 2006. Any of you who have chucks from early 2006, take a pair of hi core colour blacks and compare them to those supplied in 2007 will notice a distinct difference. The 2007 shoes are lighter, appear less chunky and less well made, are slightly off white, and for those who like symmetry, often distorted or misshapen, particularly around the black rubber piping. My personal preference is very much for the 2006 types but everyone will hold different views.
An interesting fact is that you can tell when your shoes were made by looking at the label under the tongue. The two middle sets of numbers on the top line are the year and month of manufacture (I believe). If you have a collection, have a look. For instance, I have identified that the last of the chunky 2006 variety were made in 06 08. By 06 09, the different shoes had come in, highlighting the changeover, probably of plants.
Look again, if you have a number of pairs from across this period, a lot of the non-core colours were and are made in Vietnam . These are different again in detail. Finally, check out the Distressed shoes and also the leather varieties – although made in China , they are different again (probably a different plant again). Examples of this difference are the soles which are often shiny whereas the core colours were matt and the detail around the toe cap, and particularly the heel patch, which can sometimes be swept inwards is quite distinct. Many will say, so what. But many, who find detail important, whether it is laces or soles will notice that not all chucks are alike, in fact, no two are the same.
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Just released for the fall season is a new pattern design, crossword puzzle high top chucks. The shoes are black and white, with a crossword puzzle design on the canvas uppers, black soles, black eyelets, black inner canvas, white laces, and traditional white foxing with black trim.
Printed on the insole for each shoe is a set of clues, with a different set for the right and left shoes. These don't actually correspond to answers on the uppers. Too bad. Filling in the crossword answers would be a new cool way to write on your chucks. Or you could do that anyway. Best suggestion for that, get a permanent marking pen with a fine tip.
Click on this link to see a complete photo gallery of the crossword high top.
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(Product) Red is a movement to join people and corporations in helping to fight disease and other causes. The Converse company has joined this team and developed a new line of of shoes called (Converse) Red. This line is designed to appeal to the Converse counterculture crowd. Shoes in the lines are being marketed with tag lines like "Do Not Wait for Other People to Change the World, Healthy Cultures Nuture Creativity, A Healthy Culture Welcomes Dissent, Healthy Cultures are Full of Artists," and "Indifference is the Enemy." All of the shoes in the line have some special distinctive features. They include coloring the top eyelet pair red, new boxes with red print, and red eyelets, and a special canvas shoe bag with a drawstring that you can use to store the shoes or even hang them up on a hook. Depending on the model, 5 or 10% of the net wholesale price of each shoe will be paid to the global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Geneva, Switzerland. This is a corporate donation and write off -- no part of the purchase price is deductible by the consumer under U.S. law.
In a recent supplement ad, Converse describes the (Converse) Red line of shoes as a "Weapon of Change." The line is described as "an original way of thinking about shoes, creativity, and doing good: basically, you buy the shoes yhou would've bought anyway, but you buy them red." The shoes come with special tags, one of which says "Change Your Sole." The brand is touted as "an extraordinary union of brands, people and ideas. Every season Converse will collaborate with designers, artists, musicians and filmmakers to inspire originality by creating products that preserve culture and celebrate creativity."
Three examples of the Converse Red line include a Ramones All Star high top (click here to see a photo gallery), a white Chuck Taylor high top with graphic designs, and a Chuck Taylor All Star leather low cut.
Some of the shoe models that Converse plans to release in the first year, besides the ones shown in the photos above, include a red and white high top (click here to see a photo gallery) and two models of red and white low cuts, a mend it yarn high top, mend it patch models in high top and low cut, and Ricky Powell and Kaiser Chiefs All Star high tops. Converse is also making Red versions of their Weapon line.
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Black high top chucks laced up using the Triangle Method.
Another method of lacing up your chucks has gained some popularity lately. This style is a cross between traditional lacing and the straight across lacing methods that you sometimes see people wearing or in advertisments. To create the triangle look on your chucks you basically do all of the lacing work from one side of the laces, so the laces start out at very different lengths. The look of the lacing is best when you start will a new pair of laces and you have a good contrast between the color of the canvas upper and the color of the shoelace. For a complete description of how to lace up your chucks using the triangle method, go to our article on shoelaces.
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Tuesdays are great at this job, because you can kick back in your chucks.
Recently The ChucksConnection received an email from Steve Fannin, who runs the IT department for SWCA, an environmental consulting firm. "A few of us wore chucks every now and then to work. We decided to have Chuck Taylor Tuesday to go along with our Hawaiian shirt Friday. Seems to be a great team bonding thing for my Information Technology department, not to mention a lot of fun. One of my employees has been working on spreading it across the company. We have about 20 offices and I have been noticing a lot more chucks showing up to work lately."
This department sports some cool footwear.
Of course we thought that this was a great idea, and a great trend. More companies should encourage their employees to wear chucks to work. I know we do! We asked Steve to send us some photos and not only did he do that, they decided to have a photo contest. Then at their next group meeting, which was scheduled for Las Vegas, the plan was to take a group photo.
"Well we had our meeting in Las Vegas and everyone showed up wearing their chucks for a team photo. We have had a lot of fun with our weekly wear your chucks to work day. A lot of the other people in the offices have started wearing theirs as well. The Chuck Tuesday has definitely built some team spirit and someone always starts a thread saying lets see your chucks today. This inspired a photo contest before our meeting in Las Vegas. The winner received a gift certificate to a restaurant. Wear your chucks to work day has made all of our jobs a bit more fun. We always get lots of comments about how cool the chucks are and which ones are favorites."
SWCA IT Team Photo in Las Vegas
Steve also forwarded the chucks photo contest entries. Click on this link to see a gallery of the entries. The winner was chuckzilla.
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Jason and Ian wearing mismatched pairs of chucks.
You won't have much trouble picking out Jason or Ian Paige on the streets of Houston. The two brothers, who have been wearing chucks for about seven years now like to wear them in mismatched pairs. You know, one foot in a black hightop, the other red. Jason, the older of the two, started wearing them as a sophomore in high school; Ian started as soon as he had two pairs of chucks, while he was in 7th grade.
According to their mother, Ruth, "Wearing mismatched pairs is just another way to individualize the shoes as they became more individual themselves! (They are really unique!)" This style is "Just an extension of individualizing shoes with different laces, [Jason and Ian] took it a STEP further, you might say!"
Jason has three pairs of chucks and probably nine pairs of different laces; Ian has two pairs of chucks now and another on the way. Ian also has several different pairs of laces and has taken to inventive lacing techniques. Both brothers have large feet, sizes 13 and 15 in other brand shoes. Ruth jokes with them that since they both have "clown" feet, why not wear their chucks in a fun and colorful manner.
The brothers like wearing chucks because they are popular, comfortable, customizable by different laces, affordable, durable and available in large sizes. No matter what size your foot there is a pair or two of chucks for you.
There are other people out there who like to wear mismatched chucks. If you are one of those people send in a photo to The ChucksConnection. and we'll add it to our new photo gallery of People Wearing Mismatched Chucks on the website. Maybe there will be enough interest to start a nationwide trend! Punky Brewster lives!
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Look for this cover soon at your bookstore!
The ChucksConnection and Skyhorse Publishing of New York have published a new full color book all about the Converse All Star 'Chuck' Taylor basketball shoe, the world’s most popular athletic shoe, and a shoe that has influenced the lives of generations of people since it was first manufactured over 80 years ago. Based on many of the features contained in this website, the book explores the reasons why chucks wearers are so loyal to the product, what people like so much about chucks, and how chucks have helped to change the world of fashion. The book examines the art and design of chucks, and what makes them the classic American sneaker. More eye catching than any other shoe, chucks occupy an important place in our media, and the book looks at films and television shows where chucks have a role, and how chucks are used in print media.
Entitled Chucks! The Phenomenon of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars, the book takes a look at the history of the shoe, providing information about Chuck Taylor and how he changed the history of the athletic shoe in America and eventually the world. Chucks are constantly being reinvented; hundreds of different color and pattern combinations are available for sale. Yet all chucks pretty much look the same, because the brilliant simplicity of their design allows so many variations. The marketing of the Chuck Taylor shoe has always been somewhat unconventional, and the book takes a look at the relationship between the Converse Company and its retailers, featuring interviews with two long time dealers, Corky Fulton of SageSports and Gary Church of Amercian Athletics. And what does the future hold for chucks? The book presents the opinions of some people in the know.
Most importantly, this book will take a look at the wide variety of people who choose chucks as their only or main footwear. From film celebrities to the kid next door, business executives to the musicians in rock bands, guys in college to teenaged girls who cruise the mall looking for the latest models, chucks are “the great unifier”, proudly worn by people in many different age groups and demographic categories. The book presents some of their stories, opinions, and photos as the topic “Why do so many different types of people share the chucks lifestyle?” is explored.
Chucks! The Phenomenon of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars is a hard cover full color publication with over 150 photos and 160 pages of text. Priced at only $14.95, this book is a must have for any fan of Chuck Taylor shoes. Take advantage of our WEB EXCLUSIVE. Order from The ChucksConnection and you will receive a personally autographed copy from author Hal Peterson and a special Chapter 1 text insert not available from other vendors.
Books are in stock and ready to ship. Click here to place your order.
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At last a well-researched book about Chuck Taylor.
Most people know very little about the actual life of Chuck Taylor. Some people may even think that he was a fictional character for Converse, like Betty Crocker was for General Mills.
Chuck Taylor was a real person, and an inductee into the basketball Hall of Fame. But until now, there has never been a proper biography written about him. Indiana author and journalist Abraham Aamidor spent three years researching Taylor's life, and now has published Chuck Taylor, All Star, the first definitive work written about his life.
The ChucksConnection has reviewed Chuck Taylor, All Star on this website, and you can order a copy from our online store.
Click here to go to the article. Click here to order a copy.
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Everybody remembers that great scene with Clint Eastwood playing San Francisco Dectective Harry Callahan where he gives that "look" to a scuzball bad guy who is thinking about taking him on. "Make my day," Harry says, and how quickly did that guy back off.
As I go through life and think about the good and bad things in life, there are certain pleasures that are really important to me, the things that "make my day." One of these pleasures is lacing up my Chuck Taylors every day. I have been wearing them on a pretty regular basis since I was in junior high school. Yeah, I have occasionally strayed away from wearing my chucks, but as I get older (I'm now in my mid-twenties) I realize that they are my favorite shoe and probably always will be.
Like any long term chucks fan, I have my favorite black high tops (of course!), but now I like to get into wearing some of the other colors like red and navy blue. I am fortunate to have a job where I can wear my chucks every day if I want to, and one of the great things about today's world is the fact that you can wear chucks every day, and it's not a big deal. I enjoy the compliments I get from time to time on the pairs of chucks that I do wear and I like our current life style where chucks are considered normal daily wear for more and more people.
So lace up those chucks and make your day. There is nothing like the feel of Chuck Taylors on your feet.
Editors Note: If you have a story about how wearing chucks makes your day, send it in to us.
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Since this website opened up in 1998, we have been looking for, classifying, and writing reviews for films where one or more of the main or supporting characters wear chucks. Although we just started with a few films, the number identified has now grown to over 600 films. Along with information about the plot and characters, we have been keeping statistics on exactly which models appear in the films.
To no one's surprise, the most popular model used is the black high top. It has appeared in 60% of the films so far, and its popularity of all the Converse models is unsurpassed. Part of the reason is because its distinctive look and styling photographs so well. Another is that this shoe in particular is used to set the scene for films about the 1950s or films about youth or young people in all decades. Most important of all, the black high top Chuck Taylor shoe is the classic American sneaker. Some cinemaphotographers really like it when a character wears chucks and shoot film accordingly, while others show them more sparingly, but in almost every film where there are chucks, there is at least one good closeup view of them. This fact we have documented in our Best Chucks Scene feature in the film reviews we have completed. If you combine films with black high tops and low cuts together (and only counting films where both models appear once) the total is a definitive 73%.
In a distant second place is the white high top, which has appeared in 19% of all films, followed by the red high top in 12% (14% if you include maroon with red). Black low cut chucks also appear in 13% of the films. Blue high tops appear in 6% of the films. White low cuts appear in 3%, red low cut in 1%, and all other models (high top or low cut) represent 10% of the total. You can check out our films pages by clicking on this link.
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Do you have some things to say about Chuck Taylors? If you have an article or other interesting information about chucks to submit to this website, please contact us at mail@chucksconnection.com.
Right now we are looking for one or two persons interested in contributing to this feature on a bi-weekly basis. Look through this page for examples of the formats used. If you have good writing skills and a passion for chucks, contact us at mail@chucksconnection.com to see what can be worked out. To apply, we would ask for a brief resume of your writing experience, and a sample ChuckTalk feature. Payment for this part time work would be through Paypal. Please Note: This site is not affiliated with the Converse Company.
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To order a pair of core color high top
or low cut chucks, click on the image of the shoe you want. |
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Black
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Monochrome Black
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Navy Blue
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Pink
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Red
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Optical White
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Natural White
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To see the complete selection of seasonal Chuck Taylor high tops, low cut, or youth and infant models currently available, click on the image links.
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Click on the image links to purchase flat athletic, fat or retro, novelty shoelaces like multi-color weave, narrow, graphic print, and reversible, or knee high shoelaces for your chucks. You can also order socks, tee-shirts or baseball caps to wear with your chucks, totebags to carry your gear, or books about chucks.
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High Tops
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Low Cut
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Youth and Infant
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Flat Athletic
Shoelaces |
Fat or Retro
Shoelaces |
Novelty Shoelaces
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Knee High Shoelaces |
Socks
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T-Shirts
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Baseball Caps
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Totebags
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Books
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