Keds Shoes was founded in 1916 when US Rubber decided to consolidate 16 different shoe manufacturers into one company. Although the company’s first name choice was Peds, when they discovered that name was already copyrighted, they switched to Keds. By the early 1920’s, Keds were the only shoes worn by Olympians, college athletes, and sports enthusiasts.
Sneakers, so called because the rubber sole was quiet and allowed people to “sneak” up on others, became extremely popular, especially with teenage and young girls. Keds have been worn and modeled by movie stars, such as Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, and Betty White, to name a few.
Keds is now owned by Wolverine World Wide. Estimated annual revenue in 2015 was $110 billion.
Keds ShoesKeds Shoes was founded in 1916 when US Rubber decided to consolidate 16 different shoe manufacturers into one company. Although the company’s first name choice was Peds, when they discovered that name was already copyrighted, they switched to Keds. By the early 1920’s, Keds were the only shoes worn by Olympians, college athletes, and sports enthusiasts.
Sneakers, so called because the rubber sole was quiet and allowed people to “sneak” up on others, became extremely popular, especially with teenage and young girls. Keds have been worn and modeled by movie stars, such as Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, and Betty White, to name a few.
Keds is now owned by Wolverine World Wide. Estimated annual revenue in 2015 was $110 billion.