The question that everyone in this group seems to ask is, "When will Keds make a comeback?"
It does seem like they have gone in cycles. They were in style in the 1930's since they were "cheap" shoes that depression burdened people could afford. I have an aunt who will not wear any kind of sneaker because of this association.
I don't know where they went in the 40's but I can say that they were the staple of girls in the 1950's and 1960's and into the early 70's. In the early 70's the running craze took over and everyone was into jogging. There was an explosion of styles in the sneaker world. Lowly Keds hardly had status.
The movie "Dirty Dancing" brought back a revival in the 1980's (although I noticed a slight trend back even before that) and Keds managed to hang on until the mid-90's. Since then it's been a downward trend.
So if we go on the history of Keds alone, it looks like there is a weak correlation for a 10 years on, 20 to 25 years off cycle. If we call the end of the last Keds epoch 1995 then they will make a comeback in 2015 or 2020 if you can hang around for that long. Keds has gone into other lines, so maybe the company will be there then. If not, someone else will move into the niche.
Then again, Keds may never make a comeback. At one time a woman would not go into the water without a bathing cap. This was a rule at pools because the filters couldn't handle long hair, and besides what woman wanted to get salt water or chlorine in her hair. Serious swimmers still wear simple latex caps, as do the over 70 set. However, by and large, bathing caps are dead and won't come back. The hair dryer, and improved and cheaper hair care products and to an extent, shorter hair styles on women have put a block on them.
Keds may be dead. Running shoes offer much more comfort and are built better. At the moment, they are stylish enough. The only reason women and girls will go back to Keds is for fashion reasons. They are not a practical shoe.
As late as the early 70's they were the only option for women who were into athletics. Professional tennis players wore them. They were the only acceptable option for casual wear. People laughed at women or girls who would wear any athletic shoe that didn't look like Keds.
On the other hand, I am seeing a reversal of the trend from a few years ago. Klunky clown shoes are out. Girls are either wearing running shoes, or what look somewhat like Keds, but with much thicker soles. So who knows?
It does seem like they have gone in cycles. They were in style in the 1930's since they were "cheap" shoes that depression burdened people could afford. I have an aunt who will not wear any kind of sneaker because of this association.
I don't know where they went in the 40's but I can say that they were the staple of girls in the 1950's and 1960's and into the early 70's. In the early 70's the running craze took over and everyone was into jogging. There was an explosion of styles in the sneaker world. Lowly Keds hardly had status.
The movie "Dirty Dancing" brought back a revival in the 1980's (although I noticed a slight trend back even before that) and Keds managed to hang on until the mid-90's. Since then it's been a downward trend.
So if we go on the history of Keds alone, it looks like there is a weak correlation for a 10 years on, 20 to 25 years off cycle. If we call the end of the last Keds epoch 1995 then they will make a comeback in 2015 or 2020 if you can hang around for that long. Keds has gone into other lines, so maybe the company will be there then. If not, someone else will move into the niche.
Then again, Keds may never make a comeback. At one time a woman would not go into the water without a bathing cap. This was a rule at pools because the filters couldn't handle long hair, and besides what woman wanted to get salt water or chlorine in her hair. Serious swimmers still wear simple latex caps, as do the over 70 set. However, by and large, bathing caps are dead and won't come back. The hair dryer, and improved and cheaper hair care products and to an extent, shorter hair styles on women have put a block on them.
Keds may be dead. Running shoes offer much more comfort and are built better. At the moment, they are stylish enough. The only reason women and girls will go back to Keds is for fashion reasons. They are not a practical shoe.
As late as the early 70's they were the only option for women who were into athletics. Professional tennis players wore them. They were the only acceptable option for casual wear. People laughed at women or girls who would wear any athletic shoe that didn't look like Keds.
On the other hand, I am seeing a reversal of the trend from a few years ago. Klunky clown shoes are out. Girls are either wearing running shoes, or what look somewhat like Keds, but with much thicker soles. So who knows?
