Chuck Taylor (and Other Sneaker Names) Revealed

Some sneaker names are obvious—Air Jordan, anyone? But Mental Floss uncovered the origins of some popular brand names that are a bit more mysterious:

• Converse Chuck Taylor All Star: A former high school basketball star, Chuck Taylor joined the Converse team in 1921 and helped launch the shoe to stardom.
• Puma Clyde: The nickname of Walt Frazier, the Knicks player who asked Puma to design a wider basketball shoe.

• Keds: Originally planned to be named “Peds” after the Latin word for feet, but someone else owned the rights to that name.
• Reebok: Named after the rhebok, a fast African antelope.
• Adidas: Does not stand for All Day I Dream About Soccer—it’s named for its owner Adi Dassler.
• ASICS: An acronym for a Latin phrase meaning, “A healthy soul in a healthy body.”

For the full list, click the link below. (More Jay-ZTV stories.)