Keds What a disappointment!

Disclaimer:
I'm not fond of Keds at all, especially the classic Keds. Still have not shaken the "old lady" stigma. And being a kid from the 80's, Reebok Freestyle and Princesses have my heart as do other "real" sneakers. 🙂

But, I think the reason Keds bought Saucony has to do with self-preservation more than anything else. Saucony has a great running shoe business and has been very successful with the "classic" shoes (as have Nike, Converse, and Reebok). It's something that they can use to weather bad times. Saucony has a loyal following in the running shoe market (like Asics and New Balance) and is a good stabilizer.

As far as popularity - I think the less classic styles are more of a hit with the younger crowd, but it's mainly people in my age bracket (25-35) rather than teenagers. Teens have the Cons, Skate shoes, Nike, K-Swiss, New Blance, Reebok, etc. I can't remember the last time I saw a pair of Keds on a younger girl.... Keds seems to be doing well with their newer styles, but still attracting the more mature audience.

Also, I think Keds is pricing themselves out of the market. Heck, even Converse is doing it to a little extent. I was needing a pair of "boat shoes" not too long ago. Looked into the Keds Truimph. But to pay $60 for a pair of non-cushioned low tops that don't look all too good was quite a stretch. Sure they were leather, but I can buy a pair of Reeboks that are superior in every way for $65. Converse is running into the same thing - $40-50 for a pair of canvas Chucks is a little high, IMHO.

Pro-Keds is a start, but I never see anyone wearing them, which has me wonder if they are selling at all? You can't find them in stores for the most part and that's something you need for sales. I know I don't see them on the shelves next to the Nikes, Reebok, Skechers, K-Swiss, Asics, Saucony, etc.

It's a long tough road they have. Keds needs to introduce new styles and make something people want to have rather than the same old classics. Especially since the old classics are so inferior to just about every shoe out there. When a consumer looks at shoes, the Champs are ignored as they look like the $1.99 K-Mart shoes the consumer may have worn as a kid. Nobody wants that stigma. Instead they look right over the Champs and look at, say, a Nike Cortez. Now that looks great, has better cushioning, and is a "real" shoe. It sells for $69 vs the $46 for a pair of Champs. $25 more and you have a shoe with no stigma attatched to it and one that is superior in every way.

Either way, I'm sure Keds will still be making shoes 20 years from now. However, I wonder how much longer that will happen? You're starting to see more and more older people sporting Reebok Princess (unfortunately another shoe doomed to the old lady stigma) and various styles of New Balance....
 
You've got to be kidding!

You've got to be kidding!

sneakerfreak05 said:
Disclaimer:
I'm not fond of Keds at all, especially the classic Keds. Still have not shaken the "old lady" stigma. And being a kid from the 80's, Reebok Freestyle and Princesses have my heart as do other "real" sneakers. 🙂

But, I think the reason Keds bought Saucony has to do with self-preservation more than anything else. Saucony has a great running shoe business and has been very successful with the "classic" shoes (as have Nike, Converse, and Reebok). It's something that they can use to weather bad times. Saucony has a loyal following in the running shoe market (like Asics and New Balance) and is a good stabilizer.

As far as popularity - I think the less classic styles are more of a hit with the younger crowd, but it's mainly people in my age bracket (25-35) rather than teenagers. Teens have the Cons, Skate shoes, Nike, K-Swiss, New Blance, Reebok, etc. I can't remember the last time I saw a pair of Keds on a younger girl.... Keds seems to be doing well with their newer styles, but still attracting the more mature audience.

Also, I think Keds is pricing themselves out of the market. Heck, even Converse is doing it to a little extent. I was needing a pair of "boat shoes" not too long ago. Looked into the Keds Truimph. But to pay $60 for a pair of non-cushioned low tops that don't look all too good was quite a stretch. Sure they were leather, but I can buy a pair of Reeboks that are superior in every way for $65. Converse is running into the same thing - $40-50 for a pair of canvas Chucks is a little high, IMHO.

Pro-Keds is a start, but I never see anyone wearing them, which has me wonder if they are selling at all? You can't find them in stores for the most part and that's something you need for sales. I know I don't see them on the shelves next to the Nikes, Reebok, Skechers, K-Swiss, Asics, Saucony, etc.

It's a long tough road they have. Keds needs to introduce new styles and make something people want to have rather than the same old classics. Especially since the old classics are so inferior to just about every shoe out there. When a consumer looks at shoes, the Champs are ignored as they look like the $1.99 K-Mart shoes the consumer may have worn as a kid. Nobody wants that stigma. Instead they look right over the Champs and look at, say, a Nike Cortez. Now that looks great, has better cushioning, and is a "real" shoe. It sells for $69 vs the $46 for a pair of Champs. $25 more and you have a shoe with no stigma attatched to it and one that is superior in every way.

Either way, I'm sure Keds will still be making shoes 20 years from now. However, I wonder how much longer that will happen? You're starting to see more and more older people sporting Reebok Princess (unfortunately another shoe doomed to the old lady stigma) and various styles of New Balance....
Click to expand...
To tell you the truth, the popularity of Keds is not going to change the way that I think about them. I love them! I own tons and won't stop buying them.
I just find that the bulky sport shoes that you talk about are not attractive in the least. And this is coming from a young lady too!

Like Seeker says "life is too short for ugly shoes"
Luv my Keds, Ashley
 
Ashley said:
To tell you the truth, the popularity of Keds is not going to change the way that I think about them. I love them! I own tons and won't stop buying them.
I just find that the bulky sport shoes that you talk about are not attractive in the least. And this is coming from a young lady too!
Click to expand...

That's cool. That's why we have choices. For me, it's sporty shoes - they look the best!!!!! For you it's Keds. That's cool - different strokes for different folks.

It will be interesting to watch the next 10-20 years and see what happens. Fashion is cyclical and maybe Keds will make a comeback. But I'm not so sure it will be with the classic styles.
 
I agree that keds might not make it big again by just selling the classics. Every company to stay current needs to reinvent themselves and come up with new, fresh, and fashionable styles, particularly with that 18-25 market. It seems to me that Converse has that locked down for now. I have written to Keds Corp many times along with my wife recommending what we'd like to see in new keds. Several years later we both still see a few really nice updates like the triumph, but we continue to see a lot of the "granny" or nurse style shoes being sold. This can ultimately lead the company in the wrong direction for the teen to twenties group.
I know a teen girl who is on the cheerleading team at a nearby high school. She bought a pair of white keds recently and likes them. She knows I wear keds all the time and called me to tell me she bought them! She says she had just bought the "Mischa Barton" shoes. A few days later she told me her cheerleader friends thought they were cute. So far, however, no one else has bought a pair. It just might take longer than we expected to see keds make a comeback.
It is interesting to see keds repositioning themselves as a "premium" brand, though. I read in a few articles they will be pushing their products at more upscale stores like Nordstrom and Macys and are limiting their products at the Sear's or Kohls kind of dept. stores.
Either way, I don't care if they're in style or not. I wore a pair of $100 Nike Shox today and even they got uncomfortable after a while. I wore my keds champs for the rest of the day and didn't get tired of wearing them at all.
I will wear them because I have always liked them and I always will, EVEN if I get giggled at once in a while.
 
Champions

Champions

tgkedsgirl said:
I agree that keds might not make it big again by just selling the classics. Every company to stay current needs to reinvent themselves and come up with new, fresh, and fashionable styles, particularly with that 18-25 market. It seems to me that Converse has that locked down for now. I have written to Keds Corp many times along with my wife recommending what we'd like to see in new keds. Several years later we both still see a few really nice updates like the triumph, but we continue to see a lot of the "granny" or nurse style shoes being sold. This can ultimately lead the company in the wrong direction for the teen to twenties group.
I know a teen girl who is on the cheerleading team at a nearby high school. She bought a pair of white keds recently and likes them. She knows I wear keds all the time and called me to tell me she bought them! She says she had just bought the "Mischa Barton" shoes. A few days later she told me her cheerleader friends thought they were cute. So far, however, no one else has bought a pair. It just might take longer than we expected to see keds make a comeback.
It is interesting to see keds repositioning themselves as a "premium" brand, though. I read in a few articles they will be pushing their products at more upscale stores like Nordstrom and Macys and are limiting their products at the Sear's or Kohls kind of dept. stores.
Either way, I don't care if they're in style or not. I wore a pair of $100 Nike Shox today and even they got uncomfortable after a while. I wore my keds champs for the rest of the day and didn't get tired of wearing them at all.
I will wear them because I have always liked them and I always will, EVEN if I get giggled at once in a while.
Click to expand...


When you say "granny or nurse style" do you mean champions or what?

Luv my Keds,

Ashley
 
Last edited:
I'd be happy to see nurses wearing Keds. There is a nurse supply web site that sells keds champs as duty shoes.

As far as grannies reebok's are now the shoe of choice for the 65 + crowd.
 
Not going to happen

Not going to happen

Seeker I know what you mean

Back in the old days nurses would wear the old white uniforms with white nylons and white keds. Now they wear colourful outfits and its getting to the point u can not tell the nurses, from the doctors (surgeons in kids ward wear colourful outfits to make kids happy) or the orderlys. They all seem to be wearing the same thing and it is a pain not knowing who is who there anymore. I still see some nurses wearing the traditional outfit but it seems that is going out of style because the old generation are retiring. Its real sad.:icon_cry:

Oh one last thing Misha Barton sucks ass as the spokeperson of Keds. If she is not going to wear them on the show then they will still be on the back burner. One last thing Keds should try to get a musical spokesperson to promote Keds also. They are really dropping the ball on this one. They should try talking to the costume designers on television shows, that is wear the market is for youth culture.

Killerkeds
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom