Chucks!: The Phenomenon of Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars

In this fawning fashionography, readers will find more than they ever wanted to know about the enduring line of Converse basketball shoes worn by hip athletes, lithe hipsters, Pollyannas and iconoclasts. Originally a rubber shoe company, Converse rolled out the canvas All Star in 1917, nicknamed ""Chucks"" for the basketball hall-of-famer, Chuck Taylor, who was a lifelong advocate. Chucks-obsessed Peterson chronicles the shoe's evolution from stylishly unsupportive court sneaker to the all-purpose footwear embraced by those who are ""hip and fashion-oriented, part of the counterculture, nerd-like, or just regular folks."" Peterson tries to dig up the secret of their appeal through owner interviews, a menagerie of trivia and a quirky collection of photos that range from art-house to prom-tacky. Anyone who has ever owned a pair will appreciate the movie and TV sightings: Brendan Fraiser's thawed caveman in Encino Man, Ice Cube in Anaconda, Timmy in Lassie and virtually the entire cast of The Wonder Years among them. Though Peterson can get carried away, it's hard to deny these high tops are as American as Apple Pie and Paris Hilton, and this book is a worthy appreciation of their place in the pop culture canon.