The Converse Company opened its doors in the 1910s as a simple producer of rubber shoes. The vendor, Marquis M. Converse, struggled for about 10 years until he met Charles Taylor, a basketball player who couldn't find shoes to fit his feet. Converse remedied Taylor's foot troubles and offered him a sales job at one of his outlets. Taylor worked assiduously and helped make the Converse brand nationally known.

Six years after Converse hired Taylor, the company released a pair of shoes in his honor. These shoes, which became known as Chuck Taylor All-Stars (otherwise known as 'Chucks'), went on to sell more than 600 million pairs. Converse originally sold the Chuck Taylor All-Stars exclusively to basketball players. Today, however, these shoes are considered universal street wear.

Independent movie stars, rock musicians, and famous basketball players (like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird) all sung the praises of Converse Chuck Taylors. The heyday of the Converse brand came in the late 1970s and 1980s. After some stiff competition and financial hardships, Converse was bought by Nike for a little over $300 million.

Today, Converse shoes, such as Plaid Oxfords and Jack Purcells, continue to sell at a brisk pace, particularly to urban youth markets in the United States and the European Union. Converse shoes have been accepted by a number of countercultures and youth subcultures, which has kept the brand alive and popular. Today, Converse produces a number of vintage shoes, as well as some more modern, cutting-edge designs.