A plea to Converse to rename a colorway of their iconic Chuck Taylor shoes after an Uvalde shooting victim is gaining ground on Twitter.
Maite Rodriguez was one of 21 people gunned down at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. The ten-year-old was known for her green Chuck Taylors, and they’re quickly becoming a powerful symbol for those who want to honor the victims.
The Uvalde shooting was the worst school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
A gunman stormed Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, killing 19 students and two teachers. The tragedy brought with it fresh discussions of gun and police reform in the United States, along with memories of those who were killed.
Maite Rodriguez was one of the victims.
Ten-year-old Maite was known for her love of marine biology, and intended to pursue university studies in the field someday. Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi has introduced a marine biology scholarship in Maite’s name.
Maite was also known for her green Chuck Taylors.
Actor Matthew McConaughey — who was born in Uvalde — spoke in Washington , along with his wife Camila Alves McConaughey, to press lawmakers to take action on gun control. During his speech, he mentioned Maite’s signature footwear.
Maite’s favorite shoes: green Chucks, with a heart drawn on the toe.
“These are the same green Converse on her feet that turned out to be the only clear evidence that could identify her after the shooting,” McConaughey said, pointing to a pair of green Chucks held up by his wife.
Maite’s green Chucks have since become iconic.
Physician Dr. Jack Brown, who has close to 150,000 followers on Twitter, issued a simple plea to Converse: rename the green Chuck Taylors (just the green ones, not the whole line) after the little girl who loved them so much.
The movement is picking up steam.
It isn’t a petition, per se, but Brown’s tweet has picked up some serious traction. In under 24 hours, it had picked up closed to 10,000 retweets and sparked a lively discussion. Numerous people showed that they’d already adorned their green Chucks with a heart — just like Maite did.
Could the green Chucks become a symbol of a larger movement?
On Twitter and Facebook, images are already popping up of Maite’s favorite shoes, used as a kind of symbol to not only remember those lost in the tragedy, but also a call for change.
The Twitterverse is totally on board with the idea.
Nearly all of the replies to Brown’s initial tweet support the idea of Converse renaming the green Chucks after Maite. They could call them the MBs, or the Maites. Some suggested putting her initials on each pair of shoes.
It gave new meaning to old shoes.
Maite was hardly the only person with a pair of green Chucks. But since the tragedy, people who already owned a pair have had time to reflect on what else those shoes might mean.
We’re already seeing unofficial Maite tributes.
These shoes were put together in Converse’s custom store, and offer a look at what a pair of signature Maite sneakers might look like.
Converse has yet to publicly address the movement on Twitter, but it’s only been a day so far.
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Do you think they should be renamed?
Maite’s mom, Ana Rodriguez, shared this image on Facebook. She wasn’t calling for the shoes to be renamed, but was rather using them as a symbol.
What do you think of the idea to rename green Chuck Taylors after Maite Rodriguez? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.