Converse Chuck 70 vs Vans Old Skool, Which One Should You Buy First

Chuck 70 and Old Skool solve the same starting problem, a plain canvas or suede shoe that goes with everything, but they get there from opposite directions. One is a basketball shoe from more than a century ago that Converse quietly reengineered in 2013. The other is a skate shoe from 1977 that never needed reengineering, because skateboarding never stopped needing exactly what it already had.

Once you see what each shoe was actually built to survive, choosing your first pair stops being about which logo you like more.

Chuck 70 vs Old Skool at a Glance, What Actually Differs

The Chuck Taylor All Star itself goes back to a 1917 basketball shoe. Chuck 70 isn't that original shoe, it's a 2013 upgrade that reconstructs the late-1960s and early-1970s version of the All Star, back when the canvas was heavier and the sole had more shape to it (Converse Australia, Know Your Sneakers). Next to a standard Chuck Taylor, the 70 wears a double-ply canvas upper instead of single-ply, taller foxing tape around the base, a smaller toe cap, a black heel patch instead of white, and a chunkier one-piece rubber midsole and outsole instead of the classic three-piece composite sole (Reviewed, Chuck 70 vs Chuck Taylor; Gear Patrol).

Old Skool is a different kind of classic. Vans released it in 1977 as Style #36, and it was the first Vans shoe to carry the side stripe, doodled by co-founder Paul Van Doren almost as an afterthought. It was also only the second shoe Vans built specifically for skateboarding (Vans, Old Skool Product Guide). Where Chuck 70 is an upgrade looking backward at basketball, Old Skool has barely changed, because the job it does, skating, hasn't changed either.

Materials and Build, Canvas vs Suede, Foxing vs Waffle Sole

Pick either shoe up and the material difference is obvious before you even look at the sole. Chuck 70's canvas is noticeably thicker and stiffer than what's on a standard Chuck Taylor, and the raised foxing tape running around the base adds a bit more structure and scuff protection right at the point where a shoe usually gives out first (Reviewed).

Old Skool's upper is a mix of suede and canvas, and that suede toe cap isn't decorative. Vans added it because a plain canvas toe wears through fast against grip tape, the sandpaper-like surface on a skateboard deck (Design Life-Cycle, Vans Old Skool). Underneath, Old Skool runs a vulcanized rubber outsole with the waffle tread Vans has used since the 1960s, valued for how directly it grips a board. Chuck 70 goes the other way, a chunkier one-piece rubber sole that trades some of that direct ground feel for cushioning and a slightly retro basketball shape (Gear Patrol).

Comfort, Fit, and Sizing for First-Time Buyers

Sizing charts get confusing fast when two brands don't use the same logic, and this pair is a common source of that confusion. Converse, Chuck 70 included, commonly runs about half a size to a full size large, and the stiffer canvas can feel a little restrictive straight out of the box before it breaks in (Stridewise; Reviewed). Vans Old Skool tends to run closer to true-to-size, snug enough that a lot of buyers still size up half a size for comfort.

On foot, Old Skool's padded ankle collar gives it a snugger, more locked-in skate-shoe feel around the ankle. Chuck 70 leans more balanced, and its OrthoLite cushioned insole gives noticeably better step-in comfort and arch support than you'd get from a classic Chuck Taylor. Worth knowing before you order either one, Converse in general cuts narrower through the toe box than Vans, so if you have wider feet, that's the detail to check first.

Durability, Which One Holds Up Better Day to Day

Neither shoe is fragile, but they wear differently, and it comes down to what each one was built to survive. Chuck 70's thicker canvas, reinforced stitching, and raised foxing hold up to everyday scuffing better than a base Chuck Taylor, but it's still canvas, and canvas shows wear at the toe before suede does (Reviewed).

Old Skool was built for a rougher job. The suede-and-canvas upper plus the vulcanized sole are designed to take skateboard-level abrasion, a higher bar than sidewalk scuffing. In practical terms, that suede toe cap tends to outlast a comparable canvas toe under the same daily wear.

Which One Should You Buy First, Style, Use Case, and Budget

Price rarely settles this one. Both shoes commonly land in the same rough $50 to $85 range depending on colorway and material, canvas versus suede versus a premium leather option, and Chuck 70 usually runs about $15 to $20 above a standard Chuck Taylor rather than above Old Skool specifically. So the real decision is style, and how you actually wear a sneaker.

Want a vintage, basketball-court look you can dress up a little. Chuck 70's heritage styling reads well with jeans, chinos, or a slightly dressier outfit, and it comes in both low-top and high-top, something Old Skool's classic silhouette doesn't offer.

Want ankle support and a shoe that shrugs off rough treatment. Old Skool's padded collar and vulcanized sole make it the sturdier everyday option, especially if you're hard on shoes or genuinely skate.

Have wider feet. Old Skool's roomier toe box is usually the more comfortable out-of-box fit, where Chuck 70 needs a bit more break-in time.

Want the side-stripe, sporty look that goes with almost anything casual. That's Old Skool's whole reason for existing, and it hasn't needed a redesign in decades to keep working.

Both are permanent lines, not seasonal drops, so you're not betting on a fad either way. You're choosing which build fits how you actually live in a pair of sneakers, and once that's clear, the rest of the decision follows on its own.

Sources

• Converse Chuck 70 vs Vans Old Skool, Which Classic Sneaker Wins for the side-by-side framing of both shoes' heritage and use case.
• Chuck 70 vs. Chuck Taylor All Star, What's the Difference, Reviewed for the canvas, foxing, sole, and heel patch construction differences.
• Converse Chuck Taylor All Star vs Chuck 70, Gear Patrol for midsole and outsole construction comparison.
• Chuck Taylor All-Stars, Wikipedia for the 1917 original basketball shoe lineage.
• Know Your Sneakers, Chuck 70, Converse Australia for the 2013 upgrade framing.
• Old Skool Product Guide, Vans for the 1977 debut, Style #36, and the side stripe origin.
• Vans Old Skool Canvas Shoes, Design Life-Cycle for the suede toe cap and vulcanized waffle sole construction.
• Chuck 70 Review, Reviewed for durability and comfort testing detail.
• Chuck 70 vs. All Star, Stridewise for sizing guidance.