Keds facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Sportswear and Sports Goods |
| Founded | 1916 |
| Headquarters |
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United States
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Areas served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Brendan Hoffman, CEO of Wolverine World Wide |
| Products | Footwear |
| Parent |
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Keds is a famous American company that makes cool canvas shoes with rubber soles. They started way back in 1916. Their first shoe, called the Champion, was one of the very first sneakers sold to lots of people. Keds shoes are known for being comfy and easy to wear. Today, Keds is owned by a company called Designer Brands.
History of Keds
How Keds Started
In 1916, a company called U.S. Rubber brought together 30 different shoe brands. They wanted to create one big shoe company. They first thought of the name "Peds," which comes from the Latin word for feet. But that name was already taken. So, they chose "Keds" instead.
Keds's first shoe design was called the Champion. It was a canvas shoe with a soft rubber sole. These shoes became known as "sneakers" because their quiet rubber soles let people "sneak around silently."
By the early 1920s, Keds shoes were very popular. Even Olympic soccer players, tennis champions, and college athletes wore them. In 1926, Keds introduced another popular shoe called the Triumph. Later, in 1938, Keds made a special line for women called "Kedettes." These were washable high-heeled shoes.
Pro-Keds: For Athletes
In 1949, Keds launched a new line of shoes called Pro-Keds. These shoes were made for sports and athletic performance. They were designed to compete with other popular sports shoes like Converse.
The first Pro-Keds style was called the Royal. It was made especially for basketball players. Famous basketball player George Mikan even wore them. In 1953, the Minneapolis Lakers basketball team wore Pro-Keds.
In the 1970s, Pro-Keds became very popular in certain neighborhoods like Harlem and The Bronx. People there even called them "Uptowns." Many NBA stars wore Pro-Keds, including Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and "Pistol" Pete Maravich. Musicians like The Ramones also wore them. By the late 1970s, Pro-Keds were also popular in the hip-hop community.
In the early 1980s, Pro-Keds continued to make shoes for basketball. Famous boxer Sugar Ray Leonard became a spokesperson for the brand in 1981.
Keds Today
Over the years, Keds has been owned by different companies. In 1979, Stride Rite Corporation bought Keds. Later, in 2012, Wolverine World Wide acquired Stride Rite and Keds.
Keds has also worked with other cool companies to create special shoe collections. Some of these companies include Kate Spade New York, Madewell, and Opening Ceremony. In 2009, Keds even made shoes using organic cotton and recycled rubber. These shoes used non-toxic inks and dyes.
In 2015, Keds started a campaign called "Ladies First Since 1916." This campaign focused on empowering women and featured celebrities like Taylor Swift. In 2016, Keds celebrated its 100th birthday! They continued their "Ladies First" campaign with a big party during New York Fashion Week. Keds also announced that some of their shoe making was moving back to the U.S. in Michigan.
Since February 2023, Keds has been owned and managed by Designer Brands.
