When it comes to Chuck Taylor or Converse All-Stars, some people are not quite sure what their difference is. There’s no doubt that both of these shoes are some of the most popular sneakers. They have adopted various names throughout their existence and development in the past century.
Such as: Chucks, Chuck Taylors, Cons, and All-Stars
are among some of the most used names that can describe these great shoes.
Converse first manufactured these casual shoes in the early 1900s. The company was founded in 1908, but in 1917, the first shoes were designed and created. They were initially developed as basketball shoes in the early 20th century. However, after the request of the acclaimed basketball player Chuck Taylor, they became casual shoes worn by millions of people. Eventually, Taylor and his name boosted the popularity of both the company and the shoes.
There are many arguments stating that these two pairs of shoes are the same and that the only difference is the name of the shoe and the date that they were released. But I’m here to tell you that there is much more difference between these shoes than that.
Below I will explain the difference between the Chuck Taylor and the Converse All-Star. I will also go over some other great shoes that Taylor has created.
The differences between the Chuck Taylors and the regular Converse?
Converse company is an American company specializing in making shoes and clothing. They have been making shoes for over 100 years, and the most influential shoe they ever made was the Classic Chucks (or regular ones). These shoes were popular from 1917 until now!
But just like everything else changes with time, so did these classic shoes; In 2013, they introduced another version called “Chuck 70,” which brings an updated look while still keeping some vintage elements. Looking at the aesthetics, we will learn the difference between the Chuck Taylors (the 70s) and the regular Converse (Classic Chucks)?
Here are the other differences that you may or may haven’t noticed.
- The toe box is higher.
- The sides of the shoe above the sole are lower.
- The rubber part of the sole (the foxing) is thicker.
- There are five metal eyelets instead of two for lacing.
- The stitching on the canvas is of higher quality.
- There is a layer of fabric between the insole and the canvas upper.
- The insole is glued in
- The tongue is attached to the shoe at the bottom.
- There is a small “Converse All Star” logo on the outer ankle of the shoe.
- The toe box is lower.
- The sides of the shoe above the sole are higher.
- The rubber part of the sole (the foxing) is thinner.
- There are two metal eyelets for lacing.
- The stitching on the canvas is of lower quality.
- There is no layer of fabric between the insole and the canvas upper.
- The insole is stitched.
- The tongue is not attached to the shoe at the bottom.
- There is a large “Converse All Star” logo on the outer ankle of the shoe.
Converse 80s history
In the 80s, Converse sneakers took over the world. But what exactly happened in that decade? It’s no secret that fashion in the 1980s has and always will be superior. And the best thing about it is that there were no gender barriers either. It didn’t matter if you were a girl or a guy – the 80s Converse (fashion) trend affected everyone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people wear these vintage sneakers everywhere you go.
The Chucks played an essential part in the fashion trend in the 1980s, and they have been around for quite a while. Even though Converse first created the shoes five decades before that, in the 1970s and 1980s, the newly updated and released Chuck Taylors blew up and became fan favorites. Speaking of which, Chuck Taylor began wearing and then selling the shoes in the early 1920s.
By the time the 1980s came in, these shoes had already become a fashion statement. Another great thing about them is that they’re available in every color that you could think of – black, white, blue, pink, red, and yellow, to name a few.
The unique thing about the 80s Converse shoes is that they could be worn in many ways and everything you could imagine, from casual to formal wear. Most fashion lovers found ways to improvise and create fantastic outfits with sneakers. One of the most common ways to wear Chucks is by wearing two different colors that match the clothes.
For example,
a green T-shirt with red jeans would imply one red Chuck Taylor on the left leg and one green Chuck Taylor on the right.
It was also very popular to label the shoes with “left” and “right,” which are usually seen in photos. But of course, there were a lot of creative minds that started creating their version of the Converse sneakers by painting them or drawing over them.
Ever since the early 1980s, when Converse made minor changes to the iconic Chuck Taylor All-stars, they have been one of the hottest fashion trends. And after decades of success marked by millions of sales every year with the revised version, in 2013, the prosperous shoe company decided to pay tribute to the progenitor by releasing the Chuck 70.
The Chuck 70s has been a fan favorite among discerning footwear fanatics in recent years. Thanks to the vintage aesthetic and beefed-up design, the 70s became the go-to shoes for some of Converse’s high-profile collaborators – Virgil Abloh, Dei Kawakubo, and Missoni, to name a few.
Converse in the 70s
Chuck Taylor All-Star 70 model (also called Chuck Taylor 70s) was first launched in 2013. They were introduced to bring back the vintage look that the sneakers from the late 1960s and early 1970s had. The build of the Chuck Taylor 70s is very similar to that of the All-Stars, which was used for basketball during the late 20th century.
Immediately after they were first released, vintage shoes became a hot topic worldwide. Since that model came out in the late 1960s, these sneakers have been selling millions and millions of copies every year. The retro model had a few differences from the then-current All Stars model. What makes the Chuck 70s is the overall design that looks chic and vintage at the same time.
These shoes feature a thicker canvas, thicker cushioning, higher rubber midsole and foxing, smaller toe cap, one-piece rubber bottom sole, and extra material stitched on the side hind the toe cap (used for reinforcement).
What are the different Converse styles
It’s no secret that the Converse sneakers are one of the most-searched-for sneakers as millions of fans wear them. Converse is a footwear brand known for its stylish and comfortable sneakers. There are many different styles of Converse shoes, each with its unique look and feel.
Some of them are:
- Converse Chuck 70 High Top
- Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Core Ox
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star High Top
- Converse VLTG Run Star Hike
- Converse Rival
- Converse Chuck 70 Low Top
- Converse Star Player
- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Core Leather
- Commercial des Garçons Play x Converse Chuck Taylor All Star 70s
As if the original and different types of Converse Chuck Taylors weren’t enough, over the past century, more than 25 collaborations have created some of the most iconic Chuck Taylors ever.
Some of the best Converse Chuck Taylor collaborations are:
- Feng Chen Wang
- Fear of God Essentials
- Golf le Fleur
- Brain Dead
- Midnight Studios
- Off-White
- JW Anderson
- Ambush
- Undercover
- Stussy
- and of course, Colette & Club 75
Are the Converse All-Star unisex?
All of the classic Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers are unisex and come with standard unisex sizing. Because they don’t like putting labels on their shoes, Converse has decided to create them for everyone regardless of gender. However, specific sizes of the Chuck Taylors could have specific male or female sizing.
Conclusion
Taylor created many shoes of all different styles as types. The main thing that all of these shoes have in common is that they were all branded by Taylor himself.
