Keds
Encyclopedia
Keds is a brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber (later known as Uniroyal, then Uniroyal Goodrich, and finally acquired by Michelin
), later acquired by Stride Rite, and currently owned by Collective Brands.
When choosing a name, the initial choice was Peds, from the Latin meaning foot, but someone else held that trademark. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. They became known as "sneakers
" because the rubber soles allowed sneaking around silently.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Keds added to its range of casual shoes a line of athletic shoes called Pro-Keds for more serious use, specifically for basketball
. Keds have been used by many athletes.
played by Erin Moran
on Happy Days
, Kelly Kapowski played by Tiffani Thiessen
on Saved by the Bell
, Stephanie Tanner on Full House
played by Jodie Sweetin
, many of the girls on Kids Incorporated
, Samantha Micelli on Who's The Boss played by Alyssa Milano
, Becca Thatcher on Life Goes On
played by Kellie Martin
, during the first two seasons of 7th Heaven
by Lucy Camden played by Beverley Mitchell
, and off and on by Alicia "Al" Lambert played by Christine Lakin
on Step by Step. They were seen being worn on film by Frances "Baby" Houseman played by Jennifer Grey
in Dirty Dancing
, the title character in 1996's Matilda played by Mara Wilson
. They are also worn by The Clique series
character, Claire Lyons, and by Bella Swan
in the Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
free eyelets, and shoelaces made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate
(PET).
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
), later acquired by Stride Rite, and currently owned by Collective Brands.
When choosing a name, the initial choice was Peds, from the Latin meaning foot, but someone else held that trademark. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. They became known as "sneakers
Sneakers (footwear)
The American term sneakers is a synonym for athletic shoes. More specifically, sneakers refer to footwear made of flexible material, typically featuring a sole made of rubber and an upper part made of leather or canvas. Sneakers were originally sporting apparel, but are today worn much more widely...
" because the rubber soles allowed sneaking around silently.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Keds added to its range of casual shoes a line of athletic shoes called Pro-Keds for more serious use, specifically for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. Keds have been used by many athletes.
1980s to late 1990s
From the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s girls wore Keds with leggings and rib-cuff and slouch socks, with baby doll dresses with bike shorts with or without lace and sometimes slouch socks, as part of a cheerleading uniform with rib-cuff/slouch socks, or in colder weather with leggings and rib-cuff/slouch socks. They were seen being worn on television by Joanie CunninghamJoanie Cunningham
Joanie Louise Cunningham Arcola is a fictional character, played in an episode of the anthology series Love, American Style by Susan Neher and on the sitcoms Happy Days and Joanie Loves Chachi by Erin Moran. She was the daughter of Howard and Marion Cunningham, and the younger sister of Chuck...
played by Erin Moran
Erin Moran
Erin Marie Moran is an American actress, best known for the role of Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days and its spinoff Joanie Loves Chachi.-Early life:...
on Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, Kelly Kapowski played by Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen
Tiffani Thiessen is an American actress best known for her roles as Kelly Kapowski in Saved by the Bell and as Valerie Malone in Beverly Hills, 90210. She is also known for her role on Fastlane as Wilhelmina 'Billie' Chambers...
on Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell
Saved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
, Stephanie Tanner on Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
played by Jodie Sweetin
Jodie Sweetin
Jodie Lee Ann Sweetin is an American actress, best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on the long running television sitcom Full House.-Career:...
, many of the girls on Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated
Kids Incorporated, is an American children's television program that was produced from 1984 to 1993. It was largely a youth-oriented program with musical performances as an integral part of each and every storyline....
, Samantha Micelli on Who's The Boss played by Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Milano
Alyssa Jayne Milano is an American actress and former singer, known for her childhood role as Samantha Micelli in the sitcom Who's the Boss? and an eight-year stint as Phoebe Halliwell on the series Charmed. She was also a series regular on the original Melrose Place portraying the role of...
, Becca Thatcher on Life Goes On
Life Goes On (TV series)
Life Goes On is a television series that aired on ABC from September 12, 1989 to May 23, 1993. The show centers on the Thacher family living in suburban Chicago: Drew, his wife Elizabeth, and their children Paige, Rebecca, and Charles, who is known as Corky...
played by Kellie Martin
Kellie Martin
Kellie Noelle Martin is an American television actress who is known for her roles as Rebecca Thacher on Life Goes On, Christy Huddleston on Christy, Lucy Knight on ER, and Samantha Kinsey on Mystery Woman.-Early life:...
, during the first two seasons of 7th Heaven
7th Heaven
7th Heaven is an American family drama television series, created and produced by Brenda Hampton. The series premiered on August 26, 1996, on the WB, the first time that the network aired Monday night programming, and was originally broadcast from August 26, 1996 to May 13, 2007...
by Lucy Camden played by Beverley Mitchell
Beverley Mitchell
Beverley Ann Mitchell is an American actress and country music singer. She is best known for her role as Lucy Camden-Kinkirk on the television series 7th Heaven and Laura Hunter in the film Saw II.-Career:...
, and off and on by Alicia "Al" Lambert played by Christine Lakin
Christine Lakin
Christine Helen Lakin is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Alicia "Al" Lambert on the 1990s ABC/CBS situation comedy Step by Step and as Joan of Arc in Showtime's Reefer Madness...
on Step by Step. They were seen being worn on film by Frances "Baby" Houseman played by Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Grey
Jennifer Elise Grey is an American actress. Her first major roles came in the 1984 war film Red Dawn and the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller's Day Off. In 1987 she starred as Frances "Baby" Houseman in the hit film Dirty Dancing for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe. In the early 1990s, Grey...
in Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing is a 1987 American romantic film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Emile Ardolino, the film features Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in the lead roles, as well as Cynthia Rhodes and Jerry Orbach...
, the title character in 1996's Matilda played by Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson
Mara Elizabeth Wilson is an American former child actress best known for her roles as a child star, particularly in Mrs. Doubtfire , Miracle on 34th Street , and Matilda . She was born in Los Angeles, California, to Michael and Suzie Wilson . She has three older brothers, Danny, Jon, and Joel, and...
. They are also worn by The Clique series
The Clique Series
The Clique is an American young adult novel series written by Lisi Harrison and was originally published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group, but got reprinted by Poppy books. The series revolves around four girls...
character, Claire Lyons, and by Bella Swan
Bella Swan
Isabella Marie "Bella" Swan is the fictional protagonist of the Twilight series, written by Stephenie Meyer. The Twilight series, consisting of the novels Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn, is primarily narrated from Bella's point of view...
in the Twilight film, The Twilight Saga: New Moon.
Late 1990s to 2006
Keds lost popularity in the late 1990s, but sales increased in the mid 2000s. "The Champion" sneaker in the traditional white and black leather and canvas uppers remained essentially unchanged, but became available in other colors and patterns. In 2006 some of the Men's "Keds Triumph" sneakers were reintroduced, though Keds have always been more popular with women than with men.2008
Keds launched the Keds Studio, which allows customers to create custom Keds shoes using images, text, and colors provided by Keds or from the customer's own files.2009-2011
Keds launched Keds Green in March 2009. The shoes feature organic cotton uppers, 20% recycled rubber soles, non-toxic inks and dyes, nickelNickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
free eyelets, and shoelaces made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...
(PET).
External links
- Official Site - Keds.com
- Keds Studio - Keds Studio
- Keds Green - Keds Green