Remember When: Converse were the most common shoes used in the NBA

Yeah, that's right. The same Converse sneakers that you see the skaters, rock bands, and indies wearing are the ones that NBA superstars, such as Dr. J, sported whenever they played in a game. Converse were originally created for basketball players with their firm grips on the bottoms and the protection of the ankles that the high tops offered. When players such as Dr. J wore the sneakers, they were called Chuck Taylors. "In his late 30s, Marquis M. Converse, who was previously a respected manager at a footwear manufacturing firm, opened the Converse Rubber Shoe Company (also known as the Boston Rubber Shoe Company) in Malden, Massachusetts in 1908. The company was a rubber shoe manufacturer, providing winterized rubber soled footwear for men, women, and children. By 1910, Converse was producing 4,000 shoes daily, but it wasn't until 1915 that the company began manufacturing athletic shoes for tennis. The company's main turning point came in 1917 when the Converse All-Star basketball shoe was introduced. Then in 1921, a basket ball player named Charles H. or "Chuck Taylor" walked into Converse complaining of sore feet. Converse gave him a job. He worked as a salesman and ambassador, promoting the shoes around the United States, and in 1923 his signature was added to the All Star patch. Converse also customized shoes for the New York Renaissance (the "Rens"), basketball's first all African American pro basketball team. The Converse brand is generally considered to be synonymous with basketball shoes."