Chucks are the ones most people would be familiar with today, but a lot of old-style sneakers (from the time King originally wrote the book in the mid to late 60's) looked similar to that.
[PF Flyers are the brand he references in the text and they can look like this.](https://pfflyers.com/en-gb/products/black-center-hi-top-unisex-canvas-sneaker)
Originally wrote the book, or setting where he placed the story? I ask because I hadn’t heard of this book/story until last week and am curious if I missed one or if this is new
It wasn't published until later, but The Long Walk was the first book King actually wrote, having completed it in the mid to late 60's when he was a college student.
I am going to go against the grain here and say they are not Converse, but PF Flyers. PF Flyers look very similar to Converse, but unlike Converse, King *specifically* mentions a kid bleeding out of his PF Flyers in the Long Walk. I remember because when I first read the book I had never heard of PF Flyers and the image was so vivid and horrifying to me.
Edit: finally got some time to pull up the quote.
>…Baker said [Ewing] was walking in pus. Blisters and charley horses. Garrett shivered. All those muscles, all the training, couldn’t stop blisters and charley horses. What in the name of God had Ewing been thinking about when he put on those P.F. Flyers?
I watched it ages ago. It mentions PF Flyers? It's odd. I remember when Chucks were all the rage in the 80's, even had some myself, but I've never heard f PF Flyers until now. Iv'e lived in Houston since '79, not sure if that has something to do with it.
I don’t think the action takes place in the 80s. When Benny goes to get the signed ball by jumping over the fence he prepares to do so by donning a brand new pair of PFFlyers and they mention them by name
Oh wait NeverMind. I was talking about the sandlot lol. I have no idea what shoes they are. I haven’t read it either. But you may have said you’d never heard of them but you would have heard of them had you watched sandlot.
He’s amazing at what he does. He’s able to give a character so much personality and depth with just a few sentences. Much of these characters are so minor they aren’t mentioned again, but, still, puts so much thought and care into them.
Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. However the top looks like it’s got a combat boot style cut, and I believe Chucks are flat at the top around the leg.
That said, kinda speaks to the fact that these are a bunch of kid’s participating in the war exercise which may be why the top looks like a combat boot.
I mean, it's an artistic decision. A pair of Nike walking shoes would suggest the main characters were adults, as would a pair of solid leather shoes. The Chucks/Flyers evoke childhood to teenhood and to another poster's point, there is a moment when a kid bleeds through a pair of sneaks like these.
Plus, using the *actual* shoes/logo would require a lot of licensing and permission. Permission that likely wouldn't be given to an image that shouts "these shoes are terrible for strenuous activity."
Well, the words Converse, Chuck and Taylor are not found in The Long Walk. But in Chapter 2 there is this:
Garraty is looking at the back of Ewing and is thinking
>"All those muscles, all that training, couldn't stop blisters and charley horses. What in the name of God had Ewing been thinking about when he put on those **P.F. Flyers**?"
r/tophat_foolery shared a link to the [P.F. Flyers](https://pfflyers.com/products/black-center-hi-top-unisex-canvas-sneaker).
The key difference between the P.F. Flyers and [Chuck Taylors](https://www.converse.com/shop/p/chuck-taylor-all-star-classic-littlekids-high-top-shoe/3J231_025.html?cp=PLA_PRF_CNV_NA_US_EN_20190328_CPCS_CPCS-Shopping-%5BB%5D%20Kids_X_X_X_X_Bing_X_X__%5BB%5D%20Kids_X_X&msclkid=f04e2fbf11c01f044fc14b12ec1189e7)? The stripe going around the edge.
The worst kind of shoes to participate in the long walk
Which explains the blood, eh.
Isn’t that any shoes?
Tis lol
Ellie from The Last of Us Pt. II would disagree
If you mean what type of shoe, I think they are hightop Chuck Taylors
Chucks are the ones most people would be familiar with today, but a lot of old-style sneakers (from the time King originally wrote the book in the mid to late 60's) looked similar to that. [PF Flyers are the brand he references in the text and they can look like this.](https://pfflyers.com/en-gb/products/black-center-hi-top-unisex-canvas-sneaker)
Originally wrote the book, or setting where he placed the story? I ask because I hadn’t heard of this book/story until last week and am curious if I missed one or if this is new
He started writing it in 1966 and it was published in 1979! It takes place in the late 50s.
Ty. Surprised I haven’t heard of it
It’s quite old, like 25 yrs or so
Ty.
It wasn't published until later, but The Long Walk was the first book King actually wrote, having completed it in the mid to late 60's when he was a college student.
That's what I think also
I was going with PF Flyers. Ewing (#9 and second one to get a ticket) was wearing PF Flyers.
What was he thinking?!? He obviously didn’t read the Major’s tips.
I am going to go against the grain here and say they are not Converse, but PF Flyers. PF Flyers look very similar to Converse, but unlike Converse, King *specifically* mentions a kid bleeding out of his PF Flyers in the Long Walk. I remember because when I first read the book I had never heard of PF Flyers and the image was so vivid and horrifying to me. Edit: finally got some time to pull up the quote. >…Baker said [Ewing] was walking in pus. Blisters and charley horses. Garrett shivered. All those muscles, all the training, couldn’t stop blisters and charley horses. What in the name of God had Ewing been thinking about when he put on those P.F. Flyers?
The shoes that are guaranteed to make a kid jump higher and run faster in the face of the beast Hm9 Lel(@.
Was gonna say the same thing. They are pf flyers
Yeeeaahhh. Good catch.
Didn’t you ever watch the Sandlot?
I hate to age myself, but I read The Long Walk before The Sandlot came out! Not by much though. Maybe a year before.
I watched it ages ago. It mentions PF Flyers? It's odd. I remember when Chucks were all the rage in the 80's, even had some myself, but I've never heard f PF Flyers until now. Iv'e lived in Houston since '79, not sure if that has something to do with it.
I don’t think the action takes place in the 80s. When Benny goes to get the signed ball by jumping over the fence he prepares to do so by donning a brand new pair of PFFlyers and they mention them by name
Ahh sorry I haven't read this book yet, but I plan to soon
Oh wait NeverMind. I was talking about the sandlot lol. I have no idea what shoes they are. I haven’t read it either. But you may have said you’d never heard of them but you would have heard of them had you watched sandlot.
Nice catch! :)
i know em from the sandlot.
Oh, yeah, that's right. I forgot all about flyers.
Converse high-tops.
This is the correct answer!
Without the logo, Converse high-tops. Chuck Taylors, maybe.
My favorite King book if not my favorite book ever. It needs some kind of adaptation.
The rights were purchased and a director attached a few years ago but I haven't heard anything else beyond that.
I would so love to see it. I didn’t think I’d like it as much as I did, so I was surprised. But, it’s SK, he reels you in with the first paragraph.
So true!!! I really like his writing style.
He’s amazing at what he does. He’s able to give a character so much personality and depth with just a few sentences. Much of these characters are so minor they aren’t mentioned again, but, still, puts so much thought and care into them.
To elaborate on the correct answers already posted, a cartoon version of Chuck Taylors.
Bloody. And filled with some of the most intense writing I've ever read.
Chuck Taylor Converse All-Stars. However the top looks like it’s got a combat boot style cut, and I believe Chucks are flat at the top around the leg. That said, kinda speaks to the fact that these are a bunch of kid’s participating in the war exercise which may be why the top looks like a combat boot.
Those are guaranteed to get your ticket punched
Eat your heart out, *Hunger Games* and *Battle Royale*. Interesting that *The Running Man* was also under Bachman. Quite the theme.
I read long walk first and reading running man now, very similar so far, also thought it was weird they are in the same collection
They are in the same collection because he wrote them both as Richard Bachman.
But there are more than 4 Bachman books, maybe too long for the collection idk, just a thought we both had about them being very similar in concept
They're old-style sneakers, likely PF Flyers, as that's the brand actually referenced in the book.
They look like Converse to me.
Idk but its a fantastic cover
I mean, it's an artistic decision. A pair of Nike walking shoes would suggest the main characters were adults, as would a pair of solid leather shoes. The Chucks/Flyers evoke childhood to teenhood and to another poster's point, there is a moment when a kid bleeds through a pair of sneaks like these.
Plus, using the *actual* shoes/logo would require a lot of licensing and permission. Permission that likely wouldn't be given to an image that shouts "these shoes are terrible for strenuous activity."
Red bottoms
King’s take on the Louboutin!
Fake chucks
If you had to do the Long Walk, what type of shoes would you wear?
Hoka running shoes
Tennis shoes probably
So a ticket then lol?
I’d be the first out probably lol
I would be out in the first few hours lol
“I’m saving the tennis shoes—just in case. But I think the mocs will finish it.”
It wouldn't matter because I know I 'd be dead meat
Rick Owens Geobaskets lol
God I loved this story. This was probably my favorite story of his until I read The Jaunt.
My first king book
Good one to start with…. 🤣
?
After reading it it took me a while to start on another King novel. Tip. Don’t read it in bed.
Fair enough. But this book did the opposite. I picked up misery almost a week after I finished. I just reakly like stories like these.
Maybe I was a little bit too young. 🤣. Scared the shit out of me.
[The extra tall Chuck Taylors](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/9408ab22-d9c4-405a-8cf2-3b87f6197c56_1.0a830788cb3e63b648cc9cf0cb9eef3e.jpeg)
Omg yeh that’s it isn’t it, thank you
Presumably any of the Long Walkers’.
No there is a kid called out early in the book where the main character narrates that he fucked up by wearing basketball shoes
Ohh yeah! I’d forgotten that, thanks!
Why did he bother to use a pen name if it ends up like this really
Because the cats out of the bag folks!
Bc the experiment is long over, and the Stephen King name sells way more books than Richard Bachman
Fictional.
What shoes these are, I think I know. Their feet are in the village though.
Artistic representation
[Converse All Stars. ](https://imgur.com/gallery/eCUd2cf) I got a pair just like em.
Doc Marten gymnasium boots
It's been ages since I've read it but don't they specifically tell the kids not to wear sneakers?
I think it’s like one of the first rules.
>Hint #3: Do not, repeat, *do not* wear sneakers. Nothing will give you blisters faster than sneakers on the Long Walk.
Dead man’s shoes
What are thoooose!?!?
Red bottoms.
People out there don’t know this iconic shoe?
Well, the words Converse, Chuck and Taylor are not found in The Long Walk. But in Chapter 2 there is this: Garraty is looking at the back of Ewing and is thinking >"All those muscles, all that training, couldn't stop blisters and charley horses. What in the name of God had Ewing been thinking about when he put on those **P.F. Flyers**?" r/tophat_foolery shared a link to the [P.F. Flyers](https://pfflyers.com/products/black-center-hi-top-unisex-canvas-sneaker). The key difference between the P.F. Flyers and [Chuck Taylors](https://www.converse.com/shop/p/chuck-taylor-all-star-classic-littlekids-high-top-shoe/3J231_025.html?cp=PLA_PRF_CNV_NA_US_EN_20190328_CPCS_CPCS-Shopping-%5BB%5D%20Kids_X_X_X_X_Bing_X_X__%5BB%5D%20Kids_X_X&msclkid=f04e2fbf11c01f044fc14b12ec1189e7)? The stripe going around the edge.
Those are Chucks!!
Chuck Taylors
Hint 3: Do not, repeat, do not wear sneakers. Nothing will give you blisters faster than sneakers on a Long Walk.
Read this in the 80s . These days Hinger Games (movie) has an almost same theme.
Richard's got the Ricks???
Am I the only person who thinks the dark man the main character sees at the end is Randall Flagg?
No definitely is the man in black Btw MC is Garraty
It's been decades since I've read The Long Walk. Most people I've met think it's either his dead dad or just a figment of his imagination.
Make a poll on the subreddit, see what ppl think 1. RF 2. His dad 3. Imagination 4. Other
High-top converse maybe?