Purple, Blue, And White Converse Sneaker Shoes

When it comes to old-school basketball sneakers nothing compares to the Converse 'Chuck Taylors' of old. Now, I'm talking truly old-school, not some michael Jordan wannabes.

And when it comes to Chuck Taylors, everybody who thinks they know has an opinion on the subject; Some prefer your standard blue Converse, purple Converse or black Converse, whereas some others prefer one of the many printed versions on the market.

Me, I was always partial to the ultra conservative white Converse shoes. And while they are conservative in nature, they are also the ultimate in classic design. Let's talk about...

Chuck Taylors

The beautiful thing about Chuck Taylors by Converse is that they will never, ever, ever... EVER go out of style. think about it; When did you first discover these wonderful sneakers? Take that time and go many years into the past, and that's when they became popular.

The shoes were not particularly popular until basketball player Chuck Taylor adopted them as his preferred shoe. He was impressed with the design so he became the shoe's leading salesman.

After proposing a few changes to the shoe, the shoe got its current name and Chuck Taylor's signature on its ankle All Stars patch. One change was the switch to nonslip soles. Although classic black is the most popular, Chuck Taylor was himself known to prefer unbleached white high-tops (known in his day as simply "white").

In the 1950s the shoes became popular within the greaser subculture and amongst many fans of Rockabilly music.

Can you believe that people once actually played basketball in these things?! It's like trying to play basketball in wrestling shoes, for God's sake! I mean, I love these shoes to death, but I cringe at the thought of dragging my old ass up and down the court in these sneakers. It would take me weeks to shed the blisters.

Purple Converse get an honorable mention on this Hub because they are my girlfriend's favorite color and they've quite grown on me since she bought a new pair. These shoes come in so many colors that it's difficult to decide which are truly the best.

But if you take a good look at the shoes in the picture on the right, it's easy to see why this particular color is so popular with the ladies. Heck, one of my closest friends has a pair of yellow Chucks that he wears out on occasion, and I swear it's the perfect hue for most casual occasions.

But I digress...

Blue Converse are perhaps my favorite of the colored Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars.

The blue Chucks to the right are a Beluga, patchwork design. But chuck's come in solid blue hues also. Obviously, right?

The one style of Chucks that are also quite possibly the most popular are the black design. I've never really cared for the contrast of the black fabric to the white lacing, so you won't see any pictures of black Converse on this page. It's really just a personal preference, and one formed at an early age as you'll read below...

My very first pair of Chuck Taylors were purchased for me, by my mother quite by accident, when I was about 12 years old. she bought them for me not because they were the cool, in-thing to do, but because the price was right. And one thing that cannot be debated to this day is the price of this shoe. When sneakers commonly break the $100 barrier, Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars still come in a modest $40-50, depending on where you shop.

Those Chucks that my mom bought for me were black low-tops, and they absolutely killed my feet. I hated them, and vowed to never own another pair as long as I lived. To this day, low-top Chucks and black Chucks turn my stomach.

Years later, however, I started to notice that not only did I not despise the high-top design of this awesome sneaker, but that I actually preferred it to most of the sneaker designs available at the time. I guess I was 19 or 20 at the time, and it was then that I purchased my first pair of chuck high-tops, in classic white of course. I wasn't nearly as 'fashion forward' in those days as I fancy myself to be today.

What I eventually grew to love about this shoe was the simplicity of design and the overall functionality it afforded. I could literally wear this shoe anywhere. Since my idea of 'dressing up' is Khakis and a Polo, Converse All-stars are never out of my fashion equation. I wore 'em to the club, I wore 'em out on the town. I even wore 'em to play basketball, but that was short lived. The one thing these sneakers are not built for is speed. Ironically, that's what they were designed for in the first place. If you ever see somebody playing basketball in a pair of chucks mark it down on your calendar or day planner, because it will be an anomaly.

What I now love about this shoe is the many varied designs available for purchase, the pricing point, the fashion statement that lends itself to my preferred minimalist lifestyle, and the overall vibe the shoe gives off. These Converse sneakers will NEVER go out of style. There will always be an occasion where this shoe fits perfectly, and I'll be right there wearing them out one stitch at a time.

And when they do wear out, I've been known to put a little lipstick on that pig by applying duct tape to the situation. It works like a charm, and also adds a bit of extra personality to a shoe that already oozes personality by the liter.