After the shoes initial popularity was created due to basketball player Chuck Taylor in the 1950's, these shoes became popular yet again in the 90's amongst fans of Nirvana.  Nirvana's front man, Curt Cobain, wore Chucks on a daily basis because rock stars wore them while he was growing up.  Others known for their Chuck Taylor wear are Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine and The Edge from U2.

In 2003, Converse was bought by Nike and the material was reduced from a 2-ply cotton canvas to a 1-ply cotton "textile" which was quickly noticed by most avid wearers.  After most Chuck owners complained, the material was replaced again with the original 2-ply cotton canvas.

Although renewing the original material bumped the cost of Chuck Taylors from $40 to $45, that did not hurt the sales at all.  Today you see most celebrities wearing Chucks at some point, whether they are getting an award and wearing a suit or walking their dog down Main Street wearing rugged looking jeans and a t-shirt.  If done right, these versatile shoes can be pretty much worn with any type of attire.  It could very well be the only shoe that can be worn with a suit and seen on the basketball court, while being accepted in both scenarios.