Chucks is truly a work of fashion genius. Each decade in the 20th century is marked by a shift in clothing trend, and Chucks survived all these changes. Basketball players of the 20’s, hippies of the 60’s, punks of the 80’s and the grunge generation of the 90’s all wore Chucks. No matter how different their fashion senses were, the undying sneakers seem to suit everyone.

Chuck Taylor. All-Star first produced this in 1917, designed for basketball players. It did not really gain much recognition until basketball star Chuck Taylor chose it as his preferred pair for his basketball games. With his few suggestions and alterations in the original design, the shoes were soon named after him. Hence, the birth of Chuck Taylor All-Star Converse.

The Canvas. The design of Chucks is simple, but the unique canvas material gave unusual comfort that won people’s preference. In its early years of production, the original color was black and white but was later altered to suit the basketball team’s color. In the 60’s, All-Star designers and Chuck Taylor himself decided on using other material aside from canvas. Leather, vinyl, denim, hemp and suede were also used.

Innovating. There are so many variations to the classic sneakers. There are different colors, different materials and different patterns. One unique thing about Chucks is that it allows personal innovation. Simply putting pink shoelaces to your plain black Chucks would make your shoes totally different. Some people prefer buying the white pair and painting it themselves. Ironically, Chucks is so plain that you will not get bored with it. Its simplicity allows for many possibilities in mixing and matching. But no matter how many designs have come up, people still seem to go back to the classic black and white pair.

The genius behind Chucks is that it is simple and durable. It has become a staple pair in anyone’s shoe closet since 1917. If someone’s pair of low-cut black and white Chucks gets worn out after everyday use, I bet s/he will be buying the same low-cut black and white Chucks. In less than a decade, this fashion will be a centuries old. Makes me wonder if this will ever get out of style.