I’ve been wearing pairs of Converse’s Chuck Taylor sneaker and I’ve noticed that my run and step is a little different. I don’t come down the “heel to toe” way that I used to do. It’s more like a stomp when I run now. I heard from a friend who heard from a friend (reliable source, eh?) that Chuck Taylors can make one flat footed, which will then lead to back pain.
So, do Chuck Taylors cause one to become flat footed?
Do they have arch supports in them?
Shoes don’t make your feet go flat. However, your feet can flaten if your shoes don’t have arch supports.
My step is certainly flatter in my Chucks and they don’t give as much support for the long haul. My dad swears by them for working on the roof, though, as I guess they get sticky quick and it helps him hold on. I wear them to go w/ an outfit or for something sporty that’s not a lot of walking (go-cart racing, mini-golf, etc.)
I’ve been wearing Chucks for 3 years straight, and my arches are perfection.
Get back to us in a couple of years with an update.
I’ve been through PF Flyers, Keds, Chuck Taylor’s, etc. I ran with the old Adidias Roma’s, the Nike Waffles, New Balance, Asiacs, etc., etc.
Shoe contruction has improved tremendously. Improvements in design have made for much healthier feet and a lot fewer foot problems. A lot of science has gone into modern shoe construction. The more you use your feet and the more stress you put on them, the more important it is to have good shoes that support and cushion the foot in all areas.
Some people can run barefoot with no problem but you have to be a moron to think that that is the best course of action.
Why anyone would want to wear Chucks is hard to imagine. Why wear an outdated POS shoe when you can wear something that is much friendlier to your feet? And no, they don’t look cool, they make you look clueless.
Technology sometimes does produce results and make life better. Fuel injection in cars is better than carburation. A scientific calculator is better than a slide rule. Etc., etc.
I beg to differ, they make me look even nerdier than I already am which increases my coolness quotient by untold numbers. My Chucks tell the world that I don’t blow lots of dough on fashion, I have a sense of perspective about what’s important to spend money on (clearly not pounds of makeup and high heels) which makes me attractive to the right kind of guy, namely a Doper. 
I love the Chuck Taylors and the Vans Classic Slip-ons. That said, they are the most uncomfortable shoes on the planet (The Vans are even worse). How do you girls wander around in those high heels all day long, anyhow?
No no , I *love * my purple suede Vans! Even more comfy were my green ones, but they were a boy’s size anyway so wide enough for my feet. That’s the worst thing about heels, they pinch. (Makes pinchy face.)
Yea, go for it! Then when you hit middle age and you want to look like you are ambulatory you are going to have to do it through knee replacents and orthodontics.
We bought Chucks because they were cheapies and they cost $2.00 a pair. Why do you buy them?
You can still look nerdy with good shoes. Check out Merrill, Timberland, Ecco, and a bunch of others. Save your feet for when you need them.
The Chuckies sound like the ladies that say, “I haven’t worn a bra in 3 years and my tits don’t sag.” Either they had nothing to sag or they are just biding time. Well, time, age and gravity have no respect. Inevitability is a constant.
It’s not just Chuck Taylors. All the 70’s shoes are hip again. Adidas has a whole line of them, and the soles are flat as a board.
One hopes you meant ‘orthotics’ rather than ‘orthodontics’. I understand that some middle-agers have balance problems, but I’m thinking there aren’t that many face plants in that demographic.
Well, allow me to disagree but a woman wearing Converse outside of a 1980’s soviet track-and-field meet looks simply silly. To me Converse looks like the kind of shoe you would be forced to wear, not choose to wear. Of course, tastes vary greatly, and I understand why somebody might like Converse, what I don’t understand is why there is such a huge number of people who like Converse. Am I simply biased because they make me think of keds in the soviet union and for some reason that stupid white rubber nose-tip is forever linked in my mind with political oppression?
Yea, orthotics. It’s late. For someone who ran in Adidias Roma’s and Nike Waffles, it’s past my bedtime.
I go to school in West LA (aka the Epi-Center of Cool) and darling, *everyone *wears Chucks.
You know what’s fun here? You didn’t even know that I’m a Socialist and half-Russian! Sadly, my dad’s family left Russia before it became CCCP, so I couldn’t have that excuse for liking my circa 1990 black Chucks. (And I can only excuse myself, not ‘a huge number of people’.)
I like their simplicity. They aren’t flashy in any way. You tie them to your feet and go, no pumping or special lacing required. No pretentions, no status - I guarantee that anyone shooting me for my shoes is doing so because they think it’s a crime for me to wear them.
I don’t get this - ‘Spartydog said:…you want to look like you are ambulatory you are going to have to do it through knee replacents and orthodontics.’
Look like I am walking? I really don’t understand. Anyway, the Chucks are not my every day shoes, I have a pair of Merril knockoffs I scuff around in mostly. They’re not as cute or campy, for sure, as my Vans or Chucks, nor do they make me feel as young as the latter. But I can wear them to work as ‘office casual’, can’t do that w/ the high tops.
And lastly, not that it matters but I DO wear a bra, even to sleep in, for my gorgeous rack of ‘nothing to sag’. 
Allow me to expound on the classic that is the Chuck Taylor. They have transcended mere footwear. Why, it is an icon of America itself. They are the “jeans” of shoes and look good with practically any outfit… even a sport coat over a polo with a nice, stylish pair of jeans. They are the un-tennis shoe. Look at the offerings of myriad modern sneakers. Overdone, Overpriced, Over-desiged pieces of trendy crap. They are perfect for the desk job I have. They are light, simple, classic, timeless, attractive, inexpensive, and disposable. If I notice my arches flattening out, Dr. Scholls to the rescue. I treat my footwear as I do anything else I adorn, and frankly, I walk so little, I don’t need anything more elaborate. It’s not to be cool. It’s not to be unique. They’re downright ubiquitous. They’ve been in style almost from day one. But they have personality and are immediately recognizable in an unpretentious way. Seriously now, doesn’t a shoe this efficient make more sense on a day to day basis? I’m not running any marathons. And If I do, then I’ll buy a pair of actual running shoes designed for such a purpose.
That said. They are pretty cool.
Around here Converse are an important part of an incredibly pretentious Hot Topic subculture. What I’ve been able to figure out from observing these alien beings is that their social ranking is determined by the age of their Converse multiplied by the number of Tim Burton-related pins they have on their messenger bags. 
At least as a Socialist you can structure a coherent utilitarian argument for wearing Converse, so my complaint does not directly apply to you. After all, it’s just a damn shoe.
To tell you the truth I had some soviet keds as a kid that looked exactly like plain black Converse. I hated them… they had no arch support and hurt my feet. I just checked Converse website and not only are they ranting on about being free spirit and artist and everything, a lot of the shoes are $100 - $300… are they bloody serious? I can understand spending $100 on a pair of Asics if you jog a lot, but what the hell is the point of $300 Converse? It’s not even a well respected designer, it’s not like they’re made by COACH
You can still get a pair of Chucks for about $20 to $30. There are all sorts of “versions” now that may go for more. I’ve never looked into the difference, but I have no problem tracking down a pair at the local Meijer for a few clams.
OH! And there are some converse that ARE being designed by well respected designers now. Those will go for WAY more. I just find it cashing in on the current swell of interest in the old design.