15 Never-Before-Seen Images of Converse’s Most Iconic Basketball Sneakers

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

From Men's Health

I dare someone tell me they don’t have sentimental memories of their first pair of Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers. Seriously, what other sneaker in the world has barely (if at all) changed for decades, yet still maintains a certain level of cool factor, transcending generations as the “It” sneaker to wear. Countless celebrities, dozens of characters in Hollywood films, and even the coolest kids in your school growing up all wore these sneakers-that’s the power of Chucks. But did you know, or have any idea that this style of shoe was the original basketball sneaker? If you didn’t know, now you know, and if you did know, let us be the first to proclaim that Converse is back in the game.

Back in 1917, Converse introduced the Non-Skid sneaker (later known as the Chuck Taylor All Star) for a sport that was gaining popularity called basketball. The beauty of these sneakers was their simplistic design, breathable uppers, and very little changed since then-if it’s not broken, why fix it, right? The brand continued to be footwear authority in the sport with other styles of sneakers (like the ERX) and even became the official footwear for the Olympic Games, but for the past decade, Converse has basically been M.I.A. from the court.

Flash forward to yesterday, when Converse announced their latest (and possibly greatest) basketball sneaker: the All Star Pro BB. Coming this May, the new basketball sneaker combines Nike’s innovative technology (including Nike React foam) with iconic Converse DNA, transforming the retro high-top style into modern high-performance footwear. Oh, and it looks crazy-cool, too. The All Star Pro BB will retail for $140 in both black and white with pops of bold mandarin.

It’s not everyday that a sneaker style that has a soft spot in your heart gets a major upgrade, so to celebrate and honor these iconic kicks, Converse let us look through their archives of their greatest basketball sneakers of all time. If you didn’t think you’d get emotional about Converse sneakers before, these images might change that, and possibly get you excited to score a pair from the brand for the warm weather season.

1924 Converse Non-Skid Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1940- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1950- Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1959- Converse Weighted Chuck Taylor All Star Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1971- Converse Leather All Star Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1972- Converse Suede Leather All Star Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1977- Converse All Star Pro Leather Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1982- Converse All Star Basketball Pro Star Hi Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1985- Converse Cimarron Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1986- Converse Weapon Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1986- Converse Maverick Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1989- Converse ERX 250 Hi Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1995- Converse Acropolis Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1996- Converse All Star React Voltage Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

1996- Converse CONS Blue Sneaker

Photo credit: Converse
Photo credit: Converse

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