But beyond their inherent cool factor, how much do you really know about your favourite sneakers? I’m guessing not much, which is why I’ve so generously decided to share my wealth of knowledge with you. Read up, friends. There may be a quiz after.

The Chuck Taylor All Star has been around since 1917

This classic sneaker—formerly just the All Star—has been around for a century. That means Chuck Taylors predate Band-Aids. And water skiing. And cheeseburgers. What’s more, the All Star design hasn’t really been changed since 1949!

 

A woman in Florida owns 733 pairs of Converse sneakers

Retired teacher Penny Gold really likes Chuck Taylor All Stars. So much, in fact, that her walk-in closet is crammed with over 700 pairs.

Her love for Chucks started in the 1960s, but that love officially turned into an obsession when 3 Converse outlet stores opened within 25 minutes of her home. Please note that Gold doesn’t own one pair of any other brand of sneaker or one pair of any other type of Converse sneaker. Just Chucks. She even wore a sparkly white pair to her son’s bar mitzvah celebration. That’s dedication.

 

There’s a pair of Converse sneakers in the Smithsonian

In 1992, Converse unveiled a sweet “Stars and Bars” design to mark their 75th anniversary. Then they did what any successful All-American company would do: They donated a pair to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The Smithsonian happily accepted.

 

Chuck Taylor didn’t just invent his namesake sneaker

While Chuck Taylor was the man behind the new and improved All Star design (which is exactly why Converse slapped his name on the logo), that wasn’t his only accomplishment. He also came up with the first stitchless basketball!

 

All Stars weren’t originally intended for basketball

Converse actually designed the All Star for soccer and netball. It wasn’t until Chuck Taylor appeared on the scene that the shoe became a basketball phenomenon.

 

Since 1917, All Stars have found their way onto more than a billion people’s feet

That’s a lot of feet.

 

Converse added ventilation eyelets in 1932

Stinky feet are not a 21st century problem. Even back in the day, Converse had to find an easy way to let feet breathe. So, they added in a couple of extra eyelets for added ventilation. Thanks Converse!

 

Converse All Stars even infiltrated the US Army

Not long after pro basketball players adopted the Converse All Star, Chuck Taylor set his sights on the US Armed Forces. Acting as a fitness consultant, he promoted the All Star and it wasn’t long because the style became the official military training shoe during WWII. (Some sources say that the All Star is still defined in the military supply system!)