When I was a kid, Pete Maravich was the first basketball player to have his own shoe line. Its hard to imagine that there was a time when athletes didn’t have their own shoe contracts. All I knew is that I wanted a pair and wanted to be able fill the hoop like Pistol Pete. I got the shoes … but never the moves. Or the jumper.
Just about every guy my Dad’s age came up playing in Chuck Taylors. By the time I was in school, they were required wearing – not for the court but out and about in class, on the street or at parties. They’ve never gone out of style.
In fact, when punk music came along I can remember my generation reappropriating that high-top style and forever embedding it into pop culture and music in a new way.
They aren’t comfortable or even good for your feet. But that wasn’t the point. They stood for something real and accessible – a free-wheeling, fun-loving approach to life. I still wear them with pride. Even at work sometimes. They keep me in touch with the street and the genuine passion I have to make meaningful things happen for my clients.
