Nov 23, 2010

Keds

Tires and sneakers are both made of rubber and fabric, so it was only a matter of time before tire companies got into the shoe business. In 1892, Goodyear manufactured a rubber-and-canvas sneaker. The company decided on the name Peds, but someone else already held the trademark. So, Goodyear used the name Keds. The rest of the world started calling them “sneakers,” after an ad man remarked the shoes’ soles were quiet on most surfaces. In England, they call them trainers.