Custom-design your own pair of Chucks

Talk of the town: The Converse sneaker was first made in Massachusetts and sold in Boston over a hundred years ago.

Word to the wise: The store also offers a huge selection of accessories and clothing, including a denim line.

Chuck Taylor All-Stars, a simple sneaker first made in Malden, Massachusetts, is now ubiquitous the world over, worn by everyone from punk-rockers and poets to physicists, in places as far-flung as Tokyo, Dublin, and Capetown. But what's a stylish traveler to do when a shoe that's this iconic and classic can also seem so de rigueur and conformist?

For those who are wedded to your chucks but need a more personal stamp, try your hand at designing your own singular pair at the sprawling Converse Store on Newbury, where your All Stars, whether 'double upper' or XX-hi, satin or patent leather, can be customized down to the last detail, including your own print graphics and lace colors.