The original Keds sneakers?

[thunderw21]

These are very old and very small, probably for a young boy. They look Edwardian.
Keds started making "sneakers" in 1917, according to Wiki. If that's true, then these could be some of the first sneakers ever made!

"U.S. Rubber Co.
Keds
Trademark
Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.
Champion U.S.A."


Size 6?

 

[FinalVestige79]

WOW!!!

Great Find!!! Where did you happen upon those?

 

[thunderw21]

Great Find!!! Where did you happen upon those?

Thanks. They were $10 at a little junk shop here in Iowa.

cheers

 

[Bugsy]

These are very old and very small, probably for a young boy. They look Edwardian.
Keds started making "sneakers" in 1917, according to Wiki. If that's true, then these could be some of the first sneakers ever made!

"U.S. Rubber Co.
Keds
Trademark
Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.
Champion U.S.A."


Size 6?

OK Thunder, I'm impressed with you as always, but I have to know, just how big are your closets--comparable to the size of Rhode Island, no doubt!! I should be so lucky.

 

[bburtner@moran]

UDT

They certainly look like "UDT" coral boots to me...I may be wrong...

 

[thunderw21]

They certainly look like "UDT" coral boots to me...I may be wrong...

Similar style but completely different.

 

[FinalVestige79]

I almost wanna say they look like a cut down version of the early war marine jungleboots...

 

[thunderw21]

I almost wanna say they look like a cut down version of the early war marine jungleboots...

I've seen those jungle boots up close and personal before. They are very different from these Keds. The Keds are very primative, the great grandaddy of the jungle boots (U.S. Rubber Co. also made the jungle boots).

 

[MrBern]

19th century sneakers found in Vista, Cali

World's first basketball sneakers 116 years old found at an estate sale

"In a instant, I knew this discovery would be re-writing basketball and sneaker history, as these sneakers are 25 years older than the 1917 Converse All-Stars", added Pifer. The Colchester Rubber Co. was located in Colchester, Connecticut and was in business from 1888 to 1893.

click for pic of sneakers & full article:
http://www.cafeterra.info/2009/07/worlds-first-basketball-sneakers.html

 

[Dinerman]

Colchester repros available here

 

[Marc Chevalier]

World's first basketball sneakers 116 years old found at an estate sale

click for pic of sneakers & full article:
http://www.cafeterra.info/2009/07/worlds-first-basketball-sneakers.html

Yeah, that guy tried to sell them on eBay a few years ago. No winning bids.


It's a hoax. And how does he know they're from 1892 (and not, say, 1891 or '93)? Sheesh!


.

 

[bigshoe]

The shoes are most likely circa 1890 to 1920 more likely later in that era. The earliest rubber shoes I have seen are at the Steamship Arabia Museum in K.C. from 1854. The Colchester shoes purported to be the earliest basket ball shoes are a marketing hoax. These are the real mcoy.
Tom