Waltham / Massachusetts / United States
The Keds Corporation is a men s and women s shoe company. In 1916, the Keds brand was introduced by the U.S. Rubber Company as one of the first national athletic and lifestyle footwear brands. At that time, the shoes were called sneakers, a term invented in late 1916 by Keds because the rubber soles made the shoes quiet. Worn by Olympic soccer players, scores of national and international tennis champions, and many college athletes, Keds was coined the shoe of champions because of its reputation as Americas premier athletic brand. Keds has become one of the leading athletic brands and is among the leading style icons due to its classic, stylish, and authentic symbols. It is a subsidiary of The Stride Rite Corporation, which owns multiple footwear companies. The Keds Corporation has a branch office in Lexington, Mass., and is headquartered in Richmond, Va.
