Keds
Keds is an American brand known for its canvas shoes with rubber soles. Founded in 1916 by U.S. Rubber, its original shoe design was the first mass-marketed canvas-top sneaker. The brand was sold to Stride Rite in 1979, which was acquired by Wolverine World Wide in 2012. Since February 2023, Keds has been owned and operated by Designer Brands.
Company type
1916
Worldwide
Brendan Hoffman, CEO of Wolverine World Wide
- Uniroyal (1916–1979)
- Stride Rite Corporation (1979–2012)
- Wolverine World Wide (2012–2023)
- Designer Brands (2023–present)
Popular culture[edit]
The shoes have been worn by celebrities including Taylor Swift,[24] Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Katharine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Humphrey Bogart, Kristen Stewart, and Natalie Portman.[4][8]
After the release of the 1987 movie Dirty Dancing, in which Jennifer Grey's character wore Keds, company revenue grew 10 times.[25] Many cheerleaders also wore Keds as part of their uniform during the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s.[26]
In the USSR and many post-Soviet countries, sneakers with canvas tops became known generically as "keds" (Russian: кеды).[27]
In 2009, singer Lana Del Rey featured in an advertisement for the company and served as a spokesperson for a new line of shoes being offered.[28]
