Charlie's Sneaker FAQ and Glossary - K

This FAQ and Glossary defines a number of terms used in regards to athletic shoes, Charlie, or sneakers.

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KangaROOS: A sneaker originally made in the middle 1980's, best known for having a pocket. US Design Patent 298981 covers that particular feature.

Kawasaki, Guy: Former software evangelist and Apple Fellow at Apple, Inc. Now Founding Director of the Garage Technology Ventures venture-capital company, and Chief Evangelist at Canva. Writer of thirteen fantastic books, including "Selling the Dream" (ISBN 0-88730-600-4, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991), "The Computer Curmudgeon" (ISBN 1-56130-013-1, Hayden Books, 1992), and "Rules for Revolutionaries" (ISBN 0-88730-996-8, HarperCollins Publishers, 1999). Even if you think Mac is a first cut at what Windows got right, you'll laugh so hard reading "The Computer Curmudgeon" that tears will roll down your face! Guy Kawasaki has made several fascinating sneaker observations in his writings:

Kawasaki, Guy (on his Reebok Pump basketball shoes):: "I am an evangelist for a $175 basketball shoe made by Reebok called The Pump. The way I figure it, the more people I convince to buy it, the less stupid I will look for spending that much money on a basketball shoe. I think it even makes me play better." (From "Selling the Dream", ISBN 0-88730-600-4, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991, page 15.)

Kawasaki, Guy (on how not to market women's aerobic shoes):: "A (bozo) company that hasn't added emotions to facts would say to women, 'We have two pieces of cotton, leather, and rubber. You have $100.00. If you give us the $100.00, we'll give you the cotton, leather, and rubber.'" (From "Rules for Revolutionaries", ISBN 0-88730-996-8, HarperCollins Publishers, 1999, page 86.)

Kawasaki, Guy (on Michael Jordan's basketball shoes):: "Michael Jordan can take credit for the success of Air Jordans but not the Converse." (From "Selling the Dream", ISBN 0-88730-600-4, HarperCollins Publishers, 1991, page 15.)

Kawasaki, Guy (on "Sneaker Net"):: "Distributing files by Just Doing It." (From "The Computer Curmudgeon", ISBN 1-56130-013-1, Hayden Books, 1992, page 151.)

Kawasaki, Guy (who wrote me when he saw his entry in this glossary):: "I had no idea that sneakers enter my consciousness so often!"

Keds: Most frequently: this light, flimsy, and rather unprotective canvas sneaker originally manufactured by the United States Rubber Company and now by Stride Rite Corporation. The United States Rubber Company later became Uniroyal, then Uniroyal Goodrich, then they finally merged with Michelin. The standard gym shoe for young Baby Boomer women; even worn by cheerleaders, and especially for dirty dancing. The name "Keds" was derived from "Peds," the Latin for "foot." There are other styles in the Keds line, including the much-requested "Baseball Keds." Sheep flies (Melophagus Ovinus) are also called "Keds."

Keds (in India): A term used to refer to any pair of sneakers. Similar usages in the United States (much to the chagrin of the respective trademark holders) are "FedEx®" for any overnight shipper, "Kleenex®" for any facial tissue, and "Xerox®" for any photocopy.

Keds (on men): PRO-Keds disappeared from the market in 1995... but they came back (so far, in limited distribution) in 2002. They have since been discontinued later and reissued. In late 2004, Keds released some shoes for men.

Keds (whitening): Look here for Baby Boomer Mom-approved procedures for whitening canvas sneakers (including Keds).

Kicks: Current slang for "sneakers." NOTE: for Baby Boomers, the term "kicks" means "excitement." (The song "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" was not about how to get to the nearest Nike dealer!)

Kit: In the United Kingdom, the collection of apparel and boots (or trainers, as appropriate) for athletic participation: gym kit, soccer kit, and so on. If the stockist is busy, one has to wait in queue to buy their kit.

Knight, Philip ("Phil"): Co-founder (with the late Bill Bowerman) and chairman emeritus of Nike, Inc. Devoted enough to Nike that he, and most of the EKIN, have a SWOOSH tattooed on an ankle. It looks like he's wearing Nike socks even when he's 100% undressed. Of all the hundreds of Nike styles, the only ones I (Charlie) have seen Mr. Knight wearing in a picture is the Air Max Triax.

K-Swiss: K-Swiss started out making a tennis sneaker that's now a classic for yuppie fun. They also sell performance athletic shoes. Their stock is traded under NASDAQ ticker symbol KSWS.
KSWS: NASDAQ stock ticker symbol for K-Swiss, Inc.

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Last Updated: 14 October 2017

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READERS PLEASE NOTE: Names of athletic shoe manufacturers, shoe styles, and technologies may be trademarked by the manufacturers. Charlie's Sneaker Pages uses these names solely to describe the shoes with the same familiar nomenclature used by the manufacturer and recognized by the reader.