Volume 9 Issue 1
The first issue of Volume 9 spotlights women, both past and present, who are leaving their mark through creativity. From historical women who blazed trails before us, to Supreme Court decisions that shape the lives of college students, and even the unapologetic act of reading smut in public spaces. Volume 9 Issue 1 is a tapestry that weaves together the threads of the past, present, and future, celebrating the power of artistic expression to provoke thought, challenge norms and ignite change.
The first issue of Volume 9 spotlights women, both past and present, who are leaving their mark through creativity. From historical women who blazed trails before us, to Supreme Court decisions that shape the lives of college students, and even the unapologetic act of reading smut in public spaces. Volume 9 Issue 1 is a tapestry that weaves together the threads of the past, present, and future, celebrating the power of artistic expression to provoke thought, challenge norms and ignite change.
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Any given day that someone is walking<br />
the streets, it is guaranteed that they<br />
will see someone else wearing a pair<br />
of Chuck Taylor. They are absolutely<br />
everywhere and have been worn on<br />
the feet of many for over a hundred years. What<br />
is it about these shoes that have made them stay<br />
mainstream for over a century?<br />
The Origins of Chucks<br />
Chuck Taylors have been around longer<br />
than most people alive today, yet they remain a<br />
staple shoe of most wardrobes. Chuck Taylors,<br />
more commonly known as Converse, is one of the<br />
most popular footwear brands ever.<br />
An article by Instyle Magazine dives into the<br />
early history of the brand detailing how “Converse<br />
was founded by Marquis Mills Converse in 1908 in<br />
Malden, Massachusetts.”<br />
The company was originally named the<br />
“Converse Rubber Company.” Back in the early<br />
1900s the company was making practical footwear<br />
as detailed by Instyle Magazine, such as “galoshes,<br />
leather duck-hunting boots, and tennis shoes.”<br />
They also manufactured tires and other rubber<br />
products. The company moved to developing a<br />
basketball product line in 1916.<br />
Then, in 1917 the Converse Chuck Taylor All<br />
Star shoe was born.<br />
The All Stars were an immediate success<br />
due to their uniqueness. The shoes were worn by<br />
basketball players as a tool to help increase their<br />
performance against competitors. The shoes<br />
are named after basketball player, Chuck Taylor,<br />
who was the first basketball player to endorse<br />
the shoes. According to Instyle, the brand added<br />
the name Chuck Taylor to its signature ankle<br />
patch in 1932. Since their founding, these shoes<br />
have remained trendy, iconic and have facilitated<br />
positive change.<br />
Social Impact of Chuck Taylors<br />
Converse’s social impact statement is all<br />
about “empowering today’s daring spirit of youth<br />
by celebrating freedom of expression through<br />
individuals and their movement.” Converse focuses<br />
on supporting individuality, rebellion and evolution.<br />
To Converse, it is vital they evolve in order to keep<br />
the captivating spirit they have developed. They<br />
work to keep supporting youth today through<br />
culture, athletics and originality. The company<br />
values improvement and helping others. Some<br />
social impacts Converse have made are donating<br />
money to help with COVID-19 relief efforts, giving<br />
away over five hundred pairs of Converse in the<br />
New Orleans Area and being a corporate sponsor<br />
to numerous service-based organizations.<br />
It is truly special to see a company that<br />
is already so well established choose to use its<br />
abilities to provide good and to help communities<br />
around the nation. Converse as a company is<br />
unique in so many ways.<br />
Chuck Taylors in the Fashion<br />
World<br />
Chuck Taylors are the most versatile shoes<br />
in the fashion game. Chucks are worn with glitzy<br />
ball gowns instead of sky-high heels and on the<br />
feet of A-list celebs and political figures.<br />
There have been collaborations with<br />
popular fashion brands such as Comme des<br />
Garçons x Converse and Off White x Converse.<br />
These collaborations continue to give Chuck<br />
Taylors a new edge and continue to make them<br />
fresh and exciting.<br />
There is also an option to customize Chuck Taylors,<br />
which is very rare among shoe brands. Designing<br />
one’s own shoe is a powerful way to show<br />
personality through fashion.<br />
Chuck Taylors are a shoe for everyone and<br />
that’s what makes them so notable in the fashion<br />
world. Many different designers have collaborated<br />
with Converse to put their original spin on the<br />
classic shoe. They have been worn on the streets<br />
by the Obamas, Gigi Hadid, Timothée Chalamet,<br />
Usher and more.<br />
What makes these off-duty models, political<br />
powerhouses, mainstream actors and music icons<br />
continuously rock Chucks? Chucks are a timeless<br />
shoe that can be styled anyway one desires. A pair<br />
of Chucks can be worn with a little black dress<br />
for drinks with friends, or in a game of pick-up<br />
basketball. The now vice president of the United<br />
States wore Chucks all along her campaign trail.<br />
These shoes are powerful and potent and can be<br />
worn by anyone, regardless of gender or societal<br />
norms. What makes them so lovable is their ability<br />
to suit everyone and every event.<br />
Alice Fall 2023 31
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