There was a time before the sneaker specialists: Nike, Reebock, Sketchers, Vans, ... and yes, Keds, when "Regular" shoe companies also made sneakers for women and sold them.
Sears used to have their own brand called Jeepers. Kinney shoes had Capers. Nine West (one of Mrs. Mule's favorite stores) had their own brand ... every woman's shoe store had their own brand of sneakers for women, and they were all variations on the Champion.
I am sure that these stores put out a specification to a factory in Akron and then Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China in their turn and that some of them were probably the same no matter which store you bought them in.
For me the fun part was that each of these manufacturers used a different rubber in the sole and casted or molded it in a different way.
I know that J.C. Penny carries Keds today. Did they ever have their own brand? I don't know. Mom was a local shoe store shopper with us kids. Mrs. Mule's dad worked for Sears so the employee discount covered all the sneakers for his girls.
There was also a very notoriously poor knock-off called "Candies," does anyone know who made / sold these?
What other brands can you gray-haired fans remember?
Sears used to have their own brand called Jeepers. Kinney shoes had Capers. Nine West (one of Mrs. Mule's favorite stores) had their own brand ... every woman's shoe store had their own brand of sneakers for women, and they were all variations on the Champion.
I am sure that these stores put out a specification to a factory in Akron and then Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China in their turn and that some of them were probably the same no matter which store you bought them in.
For me the fun part was that each of these manufacturers used a different rubber in the sole and casted or molded it in a different way.
I know that J.C. Penny carries Keds today. Did they ever have their own brand? I don't know. Mom was a local shoe store shopper with us kids. Mrs. Mule's dad worked for Sears so the employee discount covered all the sneakers for his girls.
There was also a very notoriously poor knock-off called "Candies," does anyone know who made / sold these?
What other brands can you gray-haired fans remember?
