GoldSmith Basketball Shoe from 1934 (1930's)

Origin: The GoldSmith Basketball Shoe originated from the Chuck Taylor All-Star shoe form the 1930's. It has the same characteristics of the shoe like many of the other continuations of the All-Star by other shoe companies. This shoe also had many of the same purposes as the Chuck Taylor all- star. However, this shoe was cheaper than the well- advertised All-Star. This shoe was made in 1930 by the GoldSmith department store in Memphis' Tenessee because of the increased popularity of basketball in the south and the inaccessibility of the All-Star in the south.

Purpose: The affordability of this shoe was new for this shoe compared to other more popular shoes like the All-Star even when this shoe was relatively the same as the other basketball shoes of the time period. The soles were made of rubber and the upper shoe was made of canvas. The patch was also ther eto protect the ankle. The only difference is that most of these shoes were darker than the other basketball shoes because this was the original color of the canvas. The shoe was created to give the south a basketball shoe with the increased popularity of basketball in the south. Because of the inaccessibility and the cost of the Chuck Taylor All- Stars in the south, an alternative was needed and this basketball shoe was the alternative.

Value: This shoe is an expression of this time period because it shows the cost cutting measures that had to be take during the great depression. This shoe cost less than the more popular Chuck Taylor All-Star and because of the great depression, basketball players of any kind searched for a less costly alternative and shoes such as the GoldSmith basketball shoe became more popular. The shoe also shows the fall of big business because of the great depression. The Chuck Taylor All-Star 's lost a lot of their popularity during the 1920's mostly because of the great depression. The shoes that took the place were cheaper alternatives like this shoe. This shoe is the best expression because it clearly shows certain aspect s of the Great Depression with it being cheaper and gaining more popularity than the more costly Chuck Taylor All-Star.

Limitations: The GoldSmith basketball shoe cannot illustrate many of the other problems of the Great Depression. The shoe has no way of showing the poverty and the joblessness of the great depression because it does not show any sudden downfall in any aspect of the shoe. It also does not show the lack of action taken by the government to aid people in the great depression because the shoe, which is an inanimate object, cannot show such a thing. This shoe was a mainstream basketball shoe for the time, with its rubber soles and canvas above. It even had the patch for protection of the ankle. This shoe, however, fails to show the perspectives of the normal people suffering during the great depression of the 30's because it does not show any type of struggle or hardship. 

http://www.dailyfantasysportsnow.com/2013/01/06/basketball-shoe-history-in-pictures/