Keds
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Just want to buy a pair of Keds right now? Keds.

Can you even imagine going through life without sneakers? They’re so much a part of the growing up years that it’s a safe bet you can’t think of one person that didn’t own a pair. These special shoes became part of our normal life when Boston school kids used the term ‘sneaker’ in 1887 (as credited by the New York Times) as slang for tennis shoes.
Style icon Audrey Hepburn made Keds fashionable in the classic 1960s film "Two for the Road"
Keds were introduced in 1916 by the U.S. Rubber (later known as Uniroyal, then Uniroyal Goodrich, and finally acquired by Michelin but is now owned by Stride-Rite) and was the launch of the original sneaker brand that brought it into popular culture and created a new footwear category. The very next year, the term ‘sneakers’ referred to the American Classic: the first shoe with a soft rubber sole which was so comfortable & quiet you could “sneak” up on your boyfriend or unsuspecting friends and family. This original sneaker, called “the Champion”is still a style icon after ninety years.
1924 was the year that Keds became the footwear of choice for pro tennis players during 13 tennis championships. Basketball icons and Olympic soccer champions followed in their steps and Keds became a household name. In 1926, the Triumph, which fused fashion and athletics with tweed on top of the rubber sole, was introduced to America. Again, it’s such a hit that it’s the shoe associated with the typical all-American teen that had the energy to study all day and dance all night.
The New Scientific Lasts and the New Keds Shockproof Insoles of air-filled, shockproof sponge rubber were introduced in 1934. The revolutionary invention cushions the feet and absorbs jolts and jars, making Keds the number one choice for comfort.
Natalie Portman taking her Yorkie out for a walk in her Keds
Women started clamoring for more than just smaller sizes of the men’s shoe so in 1938, Kedettes for ladies started production. These were the first high-heeled shoes with a comfortable, shock-absorbing rubber sole and many ladies started to choose them over traditionally constructed leather walking shoes. Suddenly, seeing sneakers on women wasn’t something outrageous anymore.
PRO-Keds debuts the Classic Royal for more serious athletes like George Mikan (AKA Mr. Basketball) in 1949. Following the success of previous years, they become a court staple and an inner city fashion accessory on playgrounds, public basketball courts, and during streetball games nationwide.
The “Natural Support” cushioned insole is launched in 1951 after Keds teamed up with Frank Leahy and a revolution in shoe construction starts.
In the 1960s Keds is the “in” shoe of all time when icons like Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy Onassis are spotted wearing the shoe on screen and off. Suddenly, every woman in America wants a pair of Keds and the casual wardrobe becomes acceptable. It becomes common for more and more women to wear pants – with a pair of Keds, of course.
The 1970s was the decade for the men when basketball greats Jojo White, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Nate Archibald choose PRO-Keds for their on-court shoes. Now men are making the shoe part of their everyday wear. It becomes the shoe of the decade when the ‘Royal Master,’ worn by “Pistol” Pete Maravich, Jojo White, and Nate “Tiny Archibald” start endorsing the now-iconic sneakers. It’s also become a key shoe on New York City playgrounds.





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