Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Syde Street MidPerfect!One of the most popular and iconic footwear silhouettes of all time, the Converse All-Star, also known as the Chuck Taylor All-Star, has a long and rich history spanning almost 100 years. Adopted by numerous subcultures and the subject of countless trends, the All-Star has been a statement piece for many, a versatile style that remains hugely popular to this day.The story of Converse began in 1908 when Marquis Mills started to make shoes that heavily featured rubber in their construction, and from that, the ‘Converse Rubber Shoe Company’ was formed. The Converse All-Star began life as an elite basketball shoe back in 1917 in its original canvas and rubber makeup, which still remains today, available in a natural brown with black trimming as its first color way.Back at a time when sneakers weren’t worn for leisure and their main purpose was functionality, the All-Star was designed to fill a gap in the market caused by the ever-increasing popularity of basketball.The years after the war saw Converse introduce the black and white colorway of the Chuck Taylor All-Star, a style that would become a favorite for many. In 1946, the two rival basketball associations, the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League (NBL), merged to form what is now known as the National Basketball Association or the NBA for short.