Do you know your Chuck Taylors from your Jack Purcells?
Converse, the classic American basketball shoe company, are known for their “named” styles, in particular the Chuck Taylor All Star, the best known of their basketball shoes. Other names include Jack Purcell and John Varvatos. But who are these men? Why are their names and signatures featured on one of the most famous footwear brands in the world?
Chuck Taylor was a professional basketball player in the early years of the 20th century, before the introduction of the league system. He was an early basketball star, and luckily for Converse the All Star was his footwear of choice. He joined the company in 1921. After slightly redesigning the All Star to make it even more suitable for playing basketball, Taylor’s signature was added to the famous ankle patch. He became a salesman for Converse, travelling around the country visiting schools, holding basketball clinics and selling shoes. He continued to work for Converse until his retirement in 1968, and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1969. The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star is still the best selling basketball shoe of all time – it is believed that 60% of Americans own or have owned a pair of “Chucks”!
Jack Purcell was a Canadian badminton champion. He won five consecutive Ontario championships from 1927 to 1931, and was the Canadian National Badminton Champion in 1929 and 1930. He wrote a column on badminton for the Toronto Star, which unfortunately led to him being stripped of his amateur status in 1931 by the Canadian Badminton Association, who claimed that this made him a paid professional. However, as a professional badminton player Purcell managed to beat all the leading players in the world by 1932. He was declared World Champion in 1933 and remained unbeaten until his retirement in 1945. His canvas and rubber badminton shoe, designed originally for the B.F. Goodrich Company in 1935, was bought by Converse in the 1970s. Jack Purcells are similar in appearance to the Chuck Taylors, but they have a “smile” across the toe which makes them instantly recognisable.
John Varvatos does not have a sporting background; however he is a highly successful fashion designer. He began his career at Polo Ralph Lauren in 1983, and became head of menswear at Calvin Klein in 1990. He returned to Ralph Lauren in 1995 as head of menswear for all the Polo Ralph Lauren brands. In 2001 he was licensed to produce a range of Converse shoes; these have proved so popular that they continue to produce John Varvatos editions over many of their ranges (including Chuck Taylors and Jack Purcells), as well as the exclusive John Varvatos USA collection.
Converse has a long history spanning over 100 years and has been involved in the worlds of sport, fashion, and rock ‘n’ roll. They have developed their unique style by using the talents of top class sportsmen and designers, such as these names immortalised on their shoes.
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