The History of Sneakers: Why Are They Called That and Who Invented Them?

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Don’t you wonder why sneakers are called sneakers? And with so many big shoe companies around, do you ever wonder who invented the first pair?

The term "sneaker" was coined in the late 19th century to describe canvas shoes with quiet rubber soles, making them ideal for silent movementThe term “sneaker” was coined in the late 19th century to describe canvas shoes with quiet rubber soles, making them ideal for silent movement (Credit: BearFotos / Shutterstock)

Well, I did, so I did some research. Here’s what I found:

The very first rubber-soled shoes, called plimsolls, were developed in the late 1800s in the United States. They were made with a canvas upper and a vulcanized rubber sole.

Plimsolls were originally marketed as tennis shoes, but they quickly became popular for various other activities, including walking, running, and playing sports. They were also relatively inexpensive, which made them accessible to a wide range of people.

The U.S. Rubber Company was the first to receive a license to do a manufacturing process called vulcanization, a necessary step in producing sturdier rubber shoes.

Keds shoes had a soft rubber sole and became known as sneakers as the rubber soles allowed Keds shoes had a soft rubber sole and became known as sneakers as the rubber soles allowed “sneaking around silently” (Credit: Keds)

For a time, the company manufactured its products under 30 different brand names until 1916, when it decided to consolidate and use just one brand name.

The initial plan was to use “peds,” Latin for foot, but they decided to use Keds, which sounded stronger and better.

The term “sneaker” was first used in print in 1887, when the Boston Journal referred to them as “the name boys give to tennis shoes.”

Keds shoes were first marketed as canvas top “sneakers.” Now, the term “sneakers” was thought up by an advertising agent named Henry Nelson McKinney, mainly because the rubber soles of the shoes made no sound when walking, allowing one to “sneak like a thief.”

The term “sneaker” was first used in print in 1887, when the Boston Journal referred to them as “the name boys give to tennis shoes.”

In 1917, Henry Nelson McKinney used the term “sneaker” in an ad for the Keds brand of canvas shoes. The ad described the shoes as “so quiet you can sneak up on a cat!”

Check out these ancient Keds ads:

Keds did not invent sneakers, but they played a significant role in popularizing and commercializing themKeds did not invent sneakers, but they played a significant role in popularizing and commercializing them (Credit: Keds)

Keds became really popular among females in the 1980s when it was hot to wear them with slouch socks, leg warmers, or tights.

Keds became a prominent brand of sneakers and contributed to the widespread recognition of this type of footwear Keds became a prominent brand of sneakers and contributed to the widespread recognition of this type of footwear (Credit: Keds)

However, the popularity of Keds simmered down in the 1990s as many other shoe companies started sprouting.

The term "sneaker" was already in use to describe canvas shoes with rubber soles before Keds became well-knownThe term “sneaker” was already in use to describe canvas shoes with rubber soles before Keds became well-known (Credit: Keds)

Today, Keds is still alive, breathing, and well-resurrected, thanks to a stronger and more effective advertising campaign that uses popular Hollywood celebrities like Amanda Seyfried and Taylor Swift.

Such celebrities have been quite instrumental in helping Keds gain back its customers, mainly the young female market.

A pair of Keds sneakers is like an LBD or a white tank. Every girl must have at least one pair in her closet. They are not just a pair of shoes but classic and core items.