Keds Keds!! Enough Already

Seeker

Seeker

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You know I really hate negative threads and comments particularity when it comes to Keds but I can't hold my tongue any longer.

Personally I had no real problem with keds changing the soles from rubber to a recycled material except for one thing. The sneakers are now DAMNED uncomfortable. I bought one pair with the new sole last year and one this year and in both cases the insoles are lumpy and impossible to wear for any length of time. I have also found that they are just a bit narrower than the rubber soled version. As long as I'm RANTING I'll also mention that the canvas seems thiner. Now they do have nice padding on the tongue and uppers but the foot bed absolutely sucks!!

To make this all worse I noticed today that the basic Champion is now $34.99 US. They must be kidding!!

I have written to Keds and complained. I have also told them that I will NO longer buy keds until the design flaws have been fixed. Now with this price hit it's just way too much. I think we as a group need to nicely and intelligently let keds know that their product sucks :icon_evil

Mule can you draft a petition or letter of some sort that we can email, mail, fax etc to make our feelings known?
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

Go for it, I still have about 30 pairs of the 90's version champs but the new ones do suck! wash them on time and theylook like a dried up condom. I wonder if Keds will
Pay attention to us (men) complaining about womens champs. Still worth a try.:icon_evil
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I would hope that they would listen to customer complaints no matter who they came from.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I agree for the most part. Somewhere between the 1990's Champs and, IMO, the Champ 2K3 (post-wedge heel) are design perfection. Why fix something that isn't broken?

Previously I swore-off buying the latest Champs, but I caved-in and bought a pair as beaters for curiosity. While they are the softest Champs ever, they feel flimsier when you wear them-in, and you're right about the comfort as well. However, at least for size 8M, they feel a tad wider than the previous versions.

I won't have much of a problem seeing women in these at the height of Keds' resurgence (it's better than NO Champs at all), but that legendary "feel good" comfort of the old Champs has been diluted, mostly due to cost-savings in materials, and perhaps at the customer's request for a more softer shoe. Oh, and I really don't like the size of the blue label, way too small.

Until Keds' listen to these complaints, I'll hang-on to my stock of Champ 2K3s and keep-on hitting the thrift stores for old Keds.

Edit: About the pricing, yeah it has been become expensive, but so is everything else these days with the cost of oil. At least some places like Sears currently have Champs on sale for $19.99.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I remember hearing rumors of heel changes...they sucked and were changed when sales dropped. Let's pressure them...bring on the petition! :icon_evil I still miss the older soles on the ladies! Hey Keds...if it ain't broke....don't try to fix it...:icon_frow
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I think Canvas Keds really hit their height during the "Keds They Feel Good Era"... back then the sole looked great, the shape was right, and on top of that, they really held their shape as they were worn in... particularly due to a cardboard/rubber insert that kept the toe from flattening down and looking gross.

It saddens me to say that they will probably never again be made with such care.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I strongly believe the best made and the most comfortable were the generation (2005, 2006 approx) just after the wedge heal. I have a couple pairs that have been through the wringer and they are still holding up.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I blame it on the falling US dollar that is why they have went up in price, another thing is that they are trying to appeal to the eco friendly people by using recycle whatever it is. I miss the early 90s keds they had colour solid stitching and they had more colours and styles. I understand some of you guys like or love the white stitching but I think the solid colour stitching was the best, the white sort of offsets the sneaker.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

Seeker said:
Mule can you draft a petition or letter of some sort that we can email, mail, fax etc to make our feelings known?
Click to expand...
I just got back from a week of having grandchildren crawling all over me.:icon_bigg

I need to clear up some "real world" business, and then will see what I can do. I probably will get to it on the weekend.

In the meantime, put your comments here as factually as you can with as many specific examples as you can.
 
Re: Keds!! Enough Already

I'm drafting a point form list but I have a few days of real life to look after as well. I'll try to have something up by the weekend.
 
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