I think I was in 5th grade when a company called US Keds took the world (at least my world) by storm. They were high tops, white (not black) tennis shoes and they were cooler than an ice-cold Frostie. I had to have a pair and begged for them.
The trouble was that while ordinary sneakers cost $3 or $4 at JC Penny’s, US Keds were $8.95 a pair and Daddy couldn’t comprehend paying that kind of a King’s Ranson for a pair of tennis shoes and white no less, which would get dirty by the first day.
At that time, I had begging down to a science having successfully pleaded my case for a Schwinn English bike, a brand new Voit basketball and a double track for my Lionel train. After hours of begging, Daddy finally gave up and Mom took me to Keatley’s Sport Shop where I was fitted with my fist pair of US Keds. I slept in them the first night.
These were amazing shoes. US Keds were worn by Olympic soccer players, national and international tennis champions, and college athletes. When I laced them up, I felt like I could jump and leap over a tall building in a single bound with my new US Keds. Did I mention they were white, a perfect match for my Levis.
It was early fall when I got them, then snow happened. US Keds were not meant to be worn in snow and slosh, but we did. We’d arrive at school with soaking wet feet which stayed that way until the final bell rang. Though US Keds were beyond fabulous, they took on the aroma of wet feet after a few weeks, and my teacher frequently had to leave the windows cracked so the class could take in a little fresh air.
But imagine, only $8.95 for a pair of tennis shoes? Today a pair of top-of-the-line Nike’s can cost to $200 or more. And even at that price, they all still stink when they get wet.
