The Keds brand of shoe has been around since 1916, when they were first made by U.S. Rubber (now known as Uniroyal). The first Keds shoes were also the first to be known as sneakers, because the rubber soles of the shoes made them quiet (so one could sneak around and not worry about being heard, apparently, because hard soled shoes tended to make noise).
Throughout the years, Keds became immensely popular with many people, including fashion icons, because of their classic and stylish design.
In the 1960's and 1970's, Keds introduced a line of athletic shoes called Pro-Keds, which were intended for more serious use, specifically for basketball. Over the years many basketball players and teams wore Pro-Keds shoes while playing.
The popularity for Keds finally seemed to die out in the mid-to-late 1990's, as other brands became popular with women and the classic Keds fell out of favour. However, recently, Keds have become popular again, thanks in part to its ad campaigns featuring Mischa Barton, star of The O.C. and The Veronicas who are an Australian Pop Rock music duo.
Pro-Keds have also come back into popularity for the moment, thanks in part to the current vintage clothing obsession.
