Vintage Converse: The Original All Star Taylor, Chuck The Converse Chuck Taylor All Star is the original basketball shoe and the world's most popular sporting shoe. Prior to 2001, these legendary sneakers were made in the United States. They are now manufactured in international facilities in Vietnam and China. Converse uses a variety of materials for its shoes including leather, canvas, and rubber. In addition, the company incorporates synthetic materials into some products such as its Powerlift line of running shoes and CCM hockey skates. Converse founder Charles Conerly created his first shoe in 1917. At that time, he was working at U.S. Rubber Company where he developed a design for a replacement sole for military boots. Converse used this new sole on its shoes and began making athletic shoes. The Chuck Taylor is named after its designer Charles Taylor. It became one of the most popular shoes in America because it was easy to clean and last long enough for students to get good quality wear out of them. Today, many different types of Converse shoes exist, including workboots, hiking shoes, tennis shoes, and football shoes. In 1951, Converse introduced its All-Star line of shoes which included the Basketball, Hi-Top, and Trainers models. These were the first mass-marketed basketball shoes and they are still sold today.