Early history In 1916,
U.S. Rubber consolidated 30 different shoe brand names to create one company. Initially, the name "Peds" was chosen for the brand from the
Latin word for feet, but it was already trademarked. Keds's original shoe design, the Champion, was the first mass-marketed canvas-top shoe. They became known as "
sneakers" as the soft rubber soles allowed "sneaking around silently". In 1926, the Keds Triumph shoe was introduced. Keds released "Kedettes", a line of washable high-heeled shoes for women, in 1938.
Pro-Keds In 1949,
Pro-Keds were introduced as a line of sneakers for athletic performance intended to compete with the industry standard,
Converse. Designed specifically for basketball players, the original style, the Royal, was endorsed by
George Mikan. In 1953, the
Minneapolis Lakers were outfitted with Pro-Keds. Pro-Keds were worn by NBA stars including
Willis Reed,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,
Nate "Tiny" Archibald,
JoJo White,
Bob Love,
Lou Hudson,
Bob Lanier and
"Pistol" Pete Maravich, The brand gained a following in the hip-hop community by the late 1970s. Keds has produced collaborative collections with companies including
Kate Spade New York, Madewell, Opening Ceremony,
Steven Alan and
Alice + Olivia. In 2009, Keds launched a collaboration with Loomstate which was sold at
Barneys New York. The shoes were made with organic cotton, recycled rubber and non-toxic inks and dyes.
Collective Brands Inc., the parent company of
Stride Rite Corporation and Keds, was acquired by
Wolverine World Wide for $1.32 billion in May 2012. Keds launched the "Ladies First Since 1916" campaign in July 2015, which focuses on female empowerment and featured celebrities including Taylor Swift. In 2016 Keds celebrated its centennial and the continuation of its "Ladies First Since 1916" campaign with a birthday celebration held during
New York Fashion Week. The company also announced that its shoe manufacturing was moving to
Michigan, in the U.S. for the first time in 35 years. ==Popular culture==