Go Chuck yourself! (Converse)

Member Name: bamamo

Product:	Converse
Date:	15/10/08 (88 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Soooo many colours to choose from, versatile and comfortable

Disadvantages: Not great for out-and-out sports, can be expensive

NOTE - I wrote this thinking I had seen the Chuck Taylor shoes as a separate product on here...so this review is not about Converse as a whole. My bad. It's still a great review, honest :)

Okay, so I'm not a girly girl as such and I'm definitely not addicted to shopping...HOWEVER I do have a weakness with shoes. Not heels. I probably have like three pairs in total, and I only ever wear (and can walk in) one of those, when absolutely necessary. I'm a Vans girl, an Etnies girl, and, at my heart, a Chuck Taylor girl.

At the time of writing this review I have only six pairs of Chucks. Only, I hear you say. Only six?! Well, considering the colours and prints I would have if I could afford it, six is pretty restrained.

For those of you who have, quite frankly, been living under a rock, let me explain what Converse Chuck Taylor shoes are. They're a canvas, rubber-soled shoe which have been around for a lot longer than you might realise. The Chuck Taylor in question was a high school basketball player, and when he went to work at Converse in Chicago in 1921, he had some suggestions on how to improve the shoes they were manufacturing. His name went on the patch at the ankle and the Chuck Taylor All-Star was born.

It just goes to show how far technology has come in improving sports footwear, because while I love wearing my Chucks, I wouldn't really consider wearing them for a workout. Yet they were the official training shoe of the US Army during World War Two, and were brought out in white in time to be worn at the 1948 Olympics.

Fortunately for those of us who wear them for casual everyday wear now, white is not the only colour on offer. Far from it. In fact, not only can you buy the original high-tops (eg a short boot type of style), you can now choose low-tops (ankle height like a normal canvas shoe), knee-highs or laceless low-tops (which I've never quite understood). And these in turn come in any colour you can think of, and some you probably wouldn't have, and designs from flames to skulls to tartan to Batman logos...well you get the idea. They also have some pairs in different materials, such as suede or leather.

As you'd expect, the more hard-to-find designs or colours would probably set you back a bit more than plain navy, black or white, which tend to be the staple colours available most readily. As a general guide, high tops can set you back up £40-50 while low-tops generally go for about £35. Chucks are not hard to find - just look for somewhere that sells shoes, including trainers, and no doubt they will have some selection however small of colours. Stores such as Schuh often have quite a variety, there is a dedicated Converse shop in London (although I found they didn't have as great a selection as I'd hoped) and of course the wonderful world wide web can always hook you up.

So why do I love Chucks? Number one, versatility. You can wear them with all kinds of outfits, and plain colours can even look fairly smart (they do make an all-black pair with black rubber as well which are especially good if you're wanting to scrub up well). I have an American friend who wore Chucks with a dress for her high school prom. For me, it's all about throwing on the Chucks with some jeans, but each to their own.

Number two, comfort! They really are very comfortable, and I have worn mine for many hours' walking. I personally wouldn't wear them for sports, having worn modern trainers my whole life, as I find the ankle support a little lacking, but if I had to run away from a robber, or flee from a burning building, I'd probably be okay. :)

Number three, durability. Okay, bit of a controversial one maybe, because I have seen the state some people get their Converse into. I have seen people walking down the street in them hanging off their feet, huge gaping holes everywhere. What I'd like to know is HOW? Fair enough, I do have a lot of shoes so I don't consistently wear the same pair every single day, but even my oldest pair are still kicking, and some look embarrassingly straight-out-of-the-box-clean. When they're not!

I don't think I need to sum this up for you - these are really great shoes which I'm sure everyone is aware of, but maybe until now you didn't realise how they originated or why they are so gosh darn great. All that is left is for you to go and buy a pair!

Summary: Will always have a place on my feet :)