In 1917, Converse introduced a diamond-shaped traction system that became one of the footwear industry’s most recognizable outsoles. Joined to a canvas upper, complete with a hallmark leather ankle patch and paired with a rubber toecap, the sole completed a trio of defining components in Converse’s burgeoning basketball line. With traction, protection and durability accounted for, the shoe was sport-ready but not an immediate hit. Three years later, the innovative design received an appropriate name — All Star — and its journey to cultural icon began in earnest.

Now, almost a century after its initial public offering, the individual components of the All Star remain while its performance has been continually refined. For instance, in 1925, a heel cushion was added, and in 1950, responding to consumer demands, a low-cut version hit basketball courts across the country. Since then, the silhouette's High and Ox styles have been worn by athletes, artists and musicians, across generations and geographies.