It's gotta be the shoes

By FAITH MOLDAN

Bigfork Eagle

I am a woman who loves her shoes. Heels, flats, boots or flip flops.

Why, you ask, am I writing about shoes in the sports section? I'm writing about shoes because they've played a key role in sports, especially basketball, for nearly a century.

I sat on the deck at the Flathead Lake Brewing Co. last week, soaking up the sun and chatting with a friend when he stood up to refill his mug. As he walked toward the stairs, I caught a flash of blue and black on his feet. His blue ice-flame Converse sneakers almost took my breath away.

His Chuck Taylor All-stars were simple, even with the blue flames, and made me and FLBC owner Terry Leonard question just who exactly Chuck Taylor was and why there are shoes bearing his name.

Chuck Taylor came along way before MJ (Michael Jordan for those of you who didn't know), Lebron (James) and today's basketball all-stars. Taylor was born in 1901 in Indiana, where it seems everyone and their dog plays basketball. I suggest everyone watch the movie "Hoosiers." It's a classic basketball movie.

There are discrepancies as to how long Taylor played basketball and at what level, but two things are for sure. He wasn't extremely tall at 6-feet, and he wasn't that slender either, weighing in at 210 pounds. He was pretty much the complete opposite of today's basketball players, at least in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Taylor not only got his name on the Converse shoe, he helped improve its design. He suggested fabricating the shoe differently for greater flexibility and support. The patch on the ankle that bears his name, was put there to protect the ankle. Taylor also sold the shoes. In 1921, he went to Converse's sales office in Chicago and was hired by S.R. "Bob" Pletz.

Unlike today's basketball players with shoes named after them or designed by them, Taylor made a tiny fraction of the amount of money that Jordan or James does. James signed a $90 million contract with Nike when he was 18. The contract made Nike the exclusive outfitter of James' footwear and clothing for seven years. The deal was the largest shoe deal ever made. Jordan received a five-year $2.5 million contract with Nike.

Taylor didn't make money off of commissions, only receiving a salary from Converse. He drove across the country in a white Cadillac, the trunk full of shoes while he lived in motels. His permanent residence was a locker in the company's warehouse in Chicago. Taylor did take advantage of Converse's expense account while he traveled.

Granted, Jordan and James do their share of work starring in commercials to promote their shoes and numerous other products, but they also receive insane amounts of money from the companies and products they endorse. Taylor did his best trying to sell the all-stars by running basketball clinics as well. He also invented the stitchless basketball in 1935. The ball was easier to control. Taylor's efforts went further, including the WWII war effort. He was a fitness consultant.

Whereas Jordan's Air Jordan shoes are relatively expensive (aren't most athletic shoes nowadays?), Converse's Chuck Taylor All-stars fit in to many lifestyles and budgets. Everyone from farm kids to youths in large cities wore all-stars. I'm guessing there wasn't a large number of options in styles of shoes back in Taylor's days like there is today though either.

Sadly enough, much of the time an athletes shoes are one of the first things I notice when I cover a sporting event. I know that the shoes don't really matter in terms of how the athlete or team will perform, but they do provide necessary support for the athlete. Sometimes though, the shoes that athletes wear on the court and playing field are a little too flashy and sometimes even ugly. Why not keep it simple. I say, "Bring back the Chucks!"