Which basketball player gave Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars their full name?

Basketball player and salesman Chuck Taylor gave the Converse All Star its full name, Chuck Taylor All Stars.

Taylor joined Converse in 1921 and promoted the company’s basketball shoes through clinics and personal appearances. His involvement helped Converse connect the shoe with basketball players across the United States. The circular ankle patch eventually carried his signature.

The shoe began as the Converse All Star in 1917. It was designed as a basketball shoe, but its simple canvas upper, rubber sole and recognizable ankle patch later made it a major casual and cultural style. The name refers to Taylor’s contribution to promotion and product development rather than to a shoe he invented alone.

A common mix-up is assuming that “All Star” refers to a particular NBA game or championship team. The phrase was part of the product’s name before the modern sneaker’s fashion status. Julius Erving, Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain were important basketball figures, but none gave this Converse model its name.