When I was a kid, it seems like every time I got a new pair of sneakers (or as we called them back then, tennies or basketball shoes), they were Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars®. They were high-tops and were made from canvas rather than leather. You had a wide range of color choices – black or white.

A few weeks back, I noticed that my sneakers were starting to fall apart, so I decided to go shopping for a new pair. I was browsing through the Converse web site. You can still get Chuck Taylor All-Stars. They now have both cloth and leather models and they now come in a wide array of colors. But I was looking for something more “up to date” and after some searching around, I found the shoes shown in the picture. They’re not Chuck Taylors…but they are named after another guy who made somewhat of a name for himself in the basketball world in the 1970’s and early 1980’s…his name is Dr. J.