The most popular sneaker in the world

Believe it or not, Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars (also referred to as "Converses", "Chuck Taylors", "Chucks", "Cons", and "All Stars") is the brand name for a pair of casual shoes produced by Converse through its Converse division. Nike has owned the rights to the brand since acquiring its former competitor out of bankruptcy in 2003.

The design of the Chuck Taylor All-Star has remained largely unchanged since its introduction. The shoes consist of a stitched upper portion, a toe cap usually made of white rubber, and a sole that is usually made of brown rubber. Although Chuck Taylors are made of various materials such as leather, the original and most widely known version of the shoe is made from cotton canvas. The innovative detail of the original shoe was the "loose lining" of soft canvas. This was intended to move along with sweaty gym socks and prevent blisters.

Is it unfair for Nike/Jordan brand to release highly seek shoes back to back?

Why are Jordan's so popular in today's culture?

 Since its debut in 1985, the Nike Air Jordan sneakers have been more than a basketball shoe in the black community. They have become everything from a fashion accessory to a status symbol.

“Jordans came out as a rebel sneaker,” said Jason Johnson, a shoe expert and owner of Bob’s Classic Kicks in downtown Detroit. “They were banned from the NBA because of the color. It came in as a rebel. Over the years, (Jordan) changed the whole game.”

When Nike debuted the red and black Air Jordan shoes during Michael Jordan’s rookie year in 1985, the league fined him $5,000. Nike paid the fines because of all of the exposure Jordan gave the shoes.

“Jordan had that presence with the youth,” Johnson said. “He became a pop icon. Nike saw that in him. He commanded that presence when he came in the room.”

Jordan’s iconic status made the shoes a must-have item, even among a group of kids who never saw him play in his glory days in Chicago: “These kids have seen the Washington Jordan, not the Chicago Jordan,” Johnson said

In the early 1990s, at the height of hip-hop’s Renaissance period, the shoes became synonymous with rap music and hip-hop culture. In many cities — including Detroit, Chicago, and New York — the shoes became popular targets for thieves as people were often mugged, and in some cases killed, over Jordans.

“You saw it on all the Spike Lee movies and the hip-hop culture picked up on it,” said Antonio Jones, a DJ and “sneaker head” from Detroit. “Once they embraced Jordan like that, it was like if you got his sneaker, you were the man.