Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation

Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation — page 1 — Superstar Sneakers It’s after school on a Friday and you’re skateboarding at the park Your sneakers rubber soles grip the flat skateboard deck Their soft yet durable high-tops support your ankles Your sneakers also look supercool You are wearing All Stars All Stars are often known as Chuck Taylors or Chucks They are named after Chuck Taylor the man who made them famous Taylor was a salesperson for Converse the company behind All Stars Taylor helped make All Stars popular by bringing them to the basketball court He did this by talking to coaches across the nation beginning in the 1920s Taylor was a major basketball player and fan He convinced many coaches that All Stars were must-have footwear for basketball FASHION FACTOID More than 750 million pairs of All Stars have been sold since 1932 4

Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation — page 2 — All Stars now come in every color of the rainbow You can even design your own pair players Soon players across the country were wearing All Stars By the 1950s All Stars had become popular off the court as well Musicians actors and everyday kids and adults had started wearing Chucks Today All Stars are an iconic piece of American fashion They have remained in style for 100 years 5

Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation — page 3 — Basketball Star Charles Hollis Taylor was born on June 24 1901 in Brown County Indiana As a child he went by Charlie Young Charlie had an older brother Howard and a younger sister Elsie His parents were Aurilla and James The Taylors lived in Brown County Indiana There were no high schools near Brown County So when Charlie was old enough his father sent him to Columbus Indiana There he lived with his uncle George W Taylor and attended Columbus High School In high school Charlie played basketball for the Columbus Bull Dogs By his senior year he was the team captain Charlie was well-known around Columbus The town and its local newspapers followed the games closely Great players like Charlie were local celebrities On March 19 1919 Charlie played in his first professional basketball game He was just 17 years 6

Chuck Taylor: Sneaker Sensation — page 4 — Charlie’s high school yearbook said he was good-natured It also said that he never hit an opponent unless that person hit him first old He played for three minutes for the Columbus Commercials a team sponsored by the local chamber of commerce The team’s opponents were the Camp Grant Five a military team made up of soldiers It was Charlie’s first step in a lifelong basketball career 7

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