Having just seen Back to the future on TV, I was inspired to re-post this early article from when I first started blogging: Converse All-Stars, Chuck Taylor, Chucks, All-Stars; whatever you call them they are one of the most iconic items of footwear ever made. They have been around for ever, well since 1917 but that’s longer than most people on the planet so it may as well have been for ever! It is no surprise that they crop up in many films, if the film maker wants to get an authentic look or tell us something about the character a pair of Chucks covers a multitude of fashions and eras from athletes, musicians, school kids and police detectives they crop up all over the place, Even Harry Potter and Dr Who wear them. But once in a while they become part of the film and are more important than a finishing touch from the costume department.
In the Clint Eastwood movie Blood Work a bloody Chuck Taylor footprint is left at a crime scene. This really narrows down who the killer is as it is such a rare shoe with around a billion pairs sold to date. Later in the film we are shown various shots of a pair of Chucks worn by someone in the crowd, is this the killer coming back to observe the investigation or just a coincidence?
One Night at McCools also uses the iconic tread pint in the plot. Matt Dillon’s character breaks into a house containing a dead body and incriminates himself by stepping in a pool of blood leaving you guessed it a Chuck footprint.
I-Robot is set in 2035, Det. Del Spooner (Will Smith) is suspicious of modern technology and is into retro things like Stevie Wonder music on his old HiFi and his vintage 2004 Chucks. The chosen shoe was a classic black and white hightop but with leather uppers, a model that went on sale in 2004, the year of the movie. Nice product placement by new owners Nike!
In Back to the Future when Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) ends up back in 1955 he has to change his clothes to fit the time. He ends up with a pair of Chucks and blue jeans that he could of worn back home in the 80’s or in the distant future like for example now! Look out for the skateboarding scenes for the best shots of the shoes.
Not integral to the story but rarely have pair of Chucks looked as cool as when were worn by Dwight (Clive Owen) in Sin City. As the rest of the film is black and white (and I really mean bold, stark black & white, 
not shades of grey) with the odd thing in bright vivid colour. One of these things is Dwight’s red Chucks. The cannibalistic killer Kevin (Elijah Wood) also has a pair but his are as monochrome as the film.
The “greaser” look that is so important to the authentic feel of The Outsiders includes Levi jeans and jackets greased back hair and is completed by a pair of Chucks. C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Rob Lowe are all seen wearing them.
Love this post, Andy, and that you found all those images of the Chucks in the movies. That had to be a pain…
Thanks Fletch, it was surprisingly easy to throw together.
Awesome idea for a post, Andy! Chuck Taylors are so timeless. That photo of the Outsiders made me want to finally finish a related post that’s been sitting dormant in my draft folder!
I have had at least two pairs on the go at anyone time for the past twenty years. Get writing, I would love to see what you have to say about The Outsiders.
One of the biggest movies I can remember with Chuck’s in them is “The Sandlot”. It was centered around that shoe just so he could run faster with them.
Don’t know that one, will have to look it out.
Those weren’t Chuck Taylor’s in “The Sandlot”–they were PF Flyers.
great post Fands! well done for IMDb love.
can you do a similar post on Golas please? thanks.
Second time lucky, they weren’t interested when I first posted it!
@JAMIE… PF FLYERS!
I seem to remember David Tennant’s 10th Doctor Who wearing something remarkably similar to Chuck Taylors – he referred to them as “Trainers”.
They were worn by Bacon in Footloose too (during the tractor chicken race scene).
Good call, I haven’t seen that movie in years.
I collect two things in this world: martini glasses and Chuck Taylors. Love this nod to the world’s greatest shoe in film. Great post, Andy!
“Collect” implies sitting on a shelf gathering dust, I hope you wear them. I have three pairs on the go at the moment including a ten year old pair that are falling to pieces.
Murphy’s Law- “Trainers” is just the British-English term for an athletic shoe- not a brand or a specific shoe. I think that The Doctor usually does wear converse though.
David Tennant certainly wore them, can’t say I have ever noticed what the current doctor wears.
About the Back to the Future / Chuck Taylor reference. there must be something about time travel that demands classic footwear, because fellow time travelers The Doctor (Doctor Who series 2 and 3), and Bill and Ted (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) also sport the chucks.