Keds is an American brand of canvas shoe with rubber soles, introduced in 1916 by U.S. Rubber (later known as Uniroyal, then Uniroyal Goodrich, and finally acquired by Michelin), later acquired by Stride Rite, and currently owned by Collective Brands.

When choosing a name, the initial choice was Peds, from the Latin meaning foot, but that name was already a trademark. Keds were first mass-marketed as canvas-top "sneakers" in 1917. They became known as sneakers because the rubber soles allowed sneaking around silently. read more