Converse started in the early 1910s and their shoes became popular pretty quickly, but it wasn't until 1917 that the Converse All Star basketball shoe line started. In 1921 Chuck Taylor began working for Converse, and their popularity spiked. For a long time they monopolized the sport-playing shoe; nearly all basketball and tennis players wore Converse All Star sneakers. Converse continues to be a successful brand decades later, with both the classic shoe they started with and new designs that follow their simple aesthetic. The Converse All Star canvas shoe is still the most popular of their shoes and is worn by people of all ages from many different parts of the world. While still a casual sport shoe,the All Star's iconic design makes it an essential item in any fashion-follower’s closet.