Consumer Reports Magazine Reviews Kids' Sneakers

Consumer Reports Magazine (and its predecessor "Consumers Union Reports" Magazine) has been reviewing products since 1936. In their March 1968 issue, they reviewed kids' sneakers... some of which are pictured here. Nearly 600 sneakers went through kid-wear testing in 1967: each pair for seven weeks or until they fell apart. This was back in the day when sneaker makers could design for "multiple years per style," not "multiple styles per year" like they do now. While these sneakers are long gone (along with most of their manufacturers), those of us who are old enough can remember if we had any of these when we grew up...

Girls' Sneakers:

All these shoes had tapered toes and soles that were treaded by a calender roll in the manufacturing process.

Consumer Reports torture-tested eleven models, sorted by price/style:

PRICE	STYLE NAME	Colors (in addition to white)	SELLER/MANUFACTURER	REVIEW COMMENTS
$2.88	Penneys Classics	2	JC Penney
$2.88	Sears Jeepers	4	Sears	RATED "A BEST BUY"
$2.88	Wards Skips	2	Montgomery Wards	RATED "A BEST BUY"
$2.98	Converse Playlite	3	Converse Rubber Company
$2.99	Randy Taper Toe	2	Randolph Manufacturing Company
$3.00	Dobie's	3	Endicott Johnson Corporation
$3.99	Randy Pedic	3	Randolph Manufacturing Company	Foxing weaker than most
$5.45	Keds Champion	5	US Rubber Company
$5.50	P-F Bayshore	5	BF Goodrich Footwear Company
$5.50	Red Ball Jets Crown Point	5	Mishawaka Rubber Company
$5.95	Grips Beachton	3	Beacon Falls Rubber Footwear

The same models, sorted by wear-test results (from best to worst):

OVERALL	SOLES	UPPERS
Sears Jeepers	Red Ball Jets Crown Point	Sears Jeepers
Keds Champion	Keds Champion	P-F Bayshore
Wards Skips	Sears Jeepers	Wards Skips
P-F Bayshore	P-F Bayshore	Keds Champion
Red Ball Jets Crown Point	Converse Playlite	Randy Taper Toe
Grips Beachton	Grips Beachton	Grips Beachton
Randy Taper Toe	Wards Skips	Randy Pedic
Dobie's	Randy Pedic	Red Ball Jets Crown Point
Converse Playlite	Dobie's	Dobie's
Randy Pedic	Randy Taper Toe	Converse Playlite
Penneys Classics	Penneys Classics	Penneys Classics

The review stated that the variance in quality was considerably less for the girls' sneakers as compared to the boys' sneakers.

Boys' Sneakers:

Consumer Reports torture-tested twelve models, all of them white high-tops. They did comment that the corresponding low-tops were extremely similar in material, construction, and workmanship. All tested models had a molded tread with a sculptured pattern and rubber ankle patches (they commented they fell off of several samples, no particular brand was called out by name). All models were available in the classic four styles: white high-top, black high-top, white low-top, and black low-top. Consumer Reports torture-tested these models, here sorted by price/style:

PRICE	STYLE NAME	SELLER/MANUFACTURER	REVIEW COMMENTS
$3.77	Penneys	JC Penney	Toe bumper frequently looked ratty
$3.88	Sears Jeepers	Sears	Mock (non-functional) instep reinforcement
$3.88	Wards Skips	Montgomery Wards	Eyelet bands not as sturdy as most; Mock (non-functional) instep reinforcement
$3.95	Keds Gladiator Bal	US Rubber Company	Inside heel lining wore out faster than most; Tended to propagate cracks across the sole; Tendency for the back seam (above the heel) to fail
$4.00	Dobie's Basketball	Endicott Johnson Corporation	Durable toe bumper; Foxing failed frequently; Lacing eyelets fell out more frequently than all others; Looked considerably worse after the torture-test, on average; Vent eyelets fell out more frequently than average
$4.88	Sears Jeepers	Sears
$5.95	Converse Sportking	Converse Rubber Company	Mock (non-functional) instep reinforcement
$5.99	Randy Pedic Basketball Shoe	Randolph Manufacturing Company	Low-top: "Randy Pedic Low-Cut"; Mock (non-functional) instep reinforcement; Tendency for the back seam (above the heel) to fail; Vent eyelets fell out more frequently than average
$6.00	Red Ball Jets	Mishawaka Rubber Company	Sole frequently broke along the depressions in the molding; Vent eyelets fell out more frequently than average
$6.50	P-F Center	BF Goodrich Footwear Company	Eyelet bands not as sturdy as most; Low-top: "P-F Sandlot"
$6.95	Grips Griptred	Beacon Falls Rubber Footwear	Toe bumper frequently looked ratty
$6.95	Keds Big Leaguer	US Rubber Company

The same models, sorted by wear-test results (from best to worst):

OVERALL	SOLES	UPPERS
Grips Griptred	Grips Griptred	Grips Griptred
Sears Jeepers ($4.88)	Keds Big Leaguer	Sears Jeepers ($4.88)
Keds Big Leaguer	P-F Center	Red Ball Jets
P-F Center	Dobie's	Wards Skips
Wards Skips	Wards Skips	Keds Gladiator
Sears Jeepers ($3.88)	Sears Jeepers ($4.88)	Randy Pedic
Red Ball Jets	Randy Pedic	Sears Jeepers ($3.88)
Penneys	Sears Jeepers ($3.88)	Keds Big Leaguer
Keds Gladiator	Penneys	P-F Center
Dobie's	Keds Gladiator	Penneys
Randy Pedic	Converse Sportking	Converse Sportking
Converse Sportking	Red Ball Jets	Dobie's

Charlie wonders: How would Chucks (one of the few sneakers from that day that is still made) have fared in comparison to these models? Note that the four highest-rated models overall either had the highest list prices ($6.50 or $6.95) or they were the $4.88 Sears Jeepers (made by Converse for Sears). Apparently, given the low-performing Sportking, the 1968 Converse factory could turn out products at many price-quality points.

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Last Updated: 18 February 2017

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