What was the first sneaker brand

Adidas tennis shoes

You call yourself a tennis fan, but did you ever stop to think about where the tennis shoes originated? Why are they called tennis shoes in the first place, and who made the first pair? Well, this article plans to give you a history of tennis by focusing on sneakers we call tennis shoes. The first pair of tennis shoes had canvas uppers and rubber soles.

Designed and manufactured in the early 19th century, the shoes were meant for the British Navy when on their slippery decks. When the shoes came into the market in , they were known as plimsolls. The shoes were then given the name sneakers because they had no sound when walking. They also did not have a right or a left shoe. This design remained until the late s when different tennis shoe designs became popular as other companies made their versions.

This makes the tennis shoe the original sneaker and athletic shoe in history. But one thing is sure; the original pair is a far cry from what we have today. The United States Rubber Company started making their tennis shoe brand in The shoe was rubber-soled canvas shoes known as Keds. Nevertheless, the style encountered minimal changes. It was not until the s when many designers started to improve the athletic shoe standard through experimentation.