Converse began in 1908 as a rubber shoe company. And The Chuck Taylor All Star is the one that started it all for Converse. Created in 1917 as a non-skid basketball shoe, the All Star was originally promoted for its superior court performance by basketball mastermind Chuck Taylor. The Converse Chuck Taylor First Star Bootie reimagines the iconic original for the littlest movers and shakers with a flexible leather upper.