Plimsolls for Prim Soles: A History of Canvas Shoes - Habilitate

Image credit: Mpumelelo Macu on Unsplash

Sneakers today are among the most colourful, elaborate, and extravagant things people put on their bodies. If contemporary fashion were fauna, trainers have evolved to be the eye-catching birds of paradise. This highly specialised evolution is all the more remarkable when you consider just how sedate their origins are. They all derive from the simple plimsoll.

Click here to get more.

Going on holiday first became a possibility for working people in Britain in the mid- to late nineteenth century. When they arrived at their coastal destinations, it was clear to all concerned that working boots were ill-suited to seaside life (Going barefoot was, it goes without saying, a no-go for any self-respecting Victorian). A solution came in the form of the plimsoll or &#;sand shoe&#;, as it was known. Sand shoes derived their other name from the Plimsoll line on a ship&#;s hull, a white marker introduced in to show the maximum depth to which a cargo ship could be loaded. The titular shoe got the name because of a lookalike strip of rubber used to affix the canvas upper to the rubber sole.

Women at a New York beach in plimsolls,
Image credit: Library of Congress on Unsplash

These cheap, fast-drying, novel bits of footwear were first popularised by the Liverpool Rubber Company, which was established in and later acquired by Dunlop. When vulcanised rubber &#; that is, rubber hardened by the addition of sulphur at high temperatures &#; was developed across the pond by Charles Goodyear (Thomas Hancock did the same in the U.K.), a bunch of small rubber companies started making plimsolls in the late s. By there were 30 different plimsoll brands stateside, all of which would be consolidated to form Keds in , though it was originally named Peds after the Latin for foot.

Image credit: Australian National Maritime Museum / No known copyright restrictions

Plimsolls didn&#;t stick to beaches for very long. Originally built to walk on sand, they proved equally fit for a whole range of athletic activities, where their grip, comfort, and manoeuvrability proved a perfect fit. Plimsolls were quickly adopted in sports like boating, tennis, basketball, and others, with perhaps the most famous example of a sporting canvas shoe being the Converse All Star (which I&#;ve written about before in greater depth). The military was another early adopter, where plimsoles became part of standard-issue physical training kits in various armed forces and a popular choice of memento for soldiers leaving active service.

The cast of West Side Story in plimsolls
Image credit: Tullio Saba / Public domain

But canvas shoes didn&#;t fully enter our everyday wardrobes until American teens got hold of them. Along with T-shirts and jeans, plimsoles were the de facto uniform of North American youth from the s onward. Although, of course, they called them sneakers, a term that had caught on by the mid-&#;60s thanks to an advertising man named Henry McKinney. By the s, specialised sneakers were being developed with specific sports in mind, and by the &#;80s casual kicks had become ubiquitous and were no longer simply made of humble canvas in limited colours. The process of evolution had kicked into top gear. 

Regardless of this vibrant proliferation in sneaker culture, however, there are still brands known primarily for their canvas classics. Think of the enduring popularity of the aforementioned Keds and Converse, or of Vans, Superga, and PF Flyers. In menswear circles, lesser-known makers like Novesta, Doek, or PRAS are similarly prized. 

Image credit: Patrick Hodskins on Unsplash

For casual contexts, plimsolls are a timeless choice. They&#;re as classic and straightforward as a good pair of jeans and are as likely to improve with age and wear. It&#;s no surprise then that, despite advances in construction and comfort elsewhere in the world of sneakers, just about every kind of dresser will own a simple pair of canvas shoes. There is, you might say, a plimsoll for every soul.

* This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something using them, we get a small percentage of the sale at no cost to you. More info at our affiliate policy.

Share this:

• Twitter

• Facebook

• More

• Print

• LinkedIn

• Reddit

• Tumblr

• Pinterest

• Pocket

• Telegram

Related

&#; : A rivalry develops between Adi and Rudi Dassler, and the two split their company. Rudi Dassler creates Ruda, which is later renamed Puma. Adi Dassler&#;s business later becomes Adidas.

A falling out between brothers Adi and Rudi Dassler led to the creation of Adidas and Puma.

&#; : At the Berlin Olympics , American sprinter Jesse Owens wears a pair of spiked running shoes designed by Adi Dassler. Owens ultimately wins four gold medals, and the media coverage makes Dassler&#;s shoes hugely popular.

&#; : Converse&#;s All-Stars are renamed Chuck Taylor&#;s All-Stars (now commonly called Chucks). Taylor is an American basketball player who worked for Converse and tirelessly promoted the All-Star shoe. It eventually gains huge popularity as an everyday shoe.

&#; : Adolf (&#;Adi&#;) Dassler begins making sports shoes in his mother&#;s house. His brother, Rudolf (&#;Rudi&#;) Dassler, joins the enterprise, and the two create Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.

&#; s : Keds names its classic shoe the Champion after the version becomes popular with tennis players, including Helen Wills .

&#; s : Converse begins selling a shoe called the Non-Skid, specifically designed for the relatively new sport of basketball . The high-topped shoe features a capped toe. It becomes the company&#;s defining shoe, and in it is renamed the All-Star.

&#; : The U.S. Rubber Company introduces Keds, a brand of sneakers. The following year, Keds are first mass-produced. The shoes become especially popular with women.

&#; : Marquise Converse founds the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Boston. The business begins selling shoes the following year.

American athlete Jesse Owens competing at the Olympics in Berlin; the medal-winning Owens wore spiked sneakers designed by Adi Dassler.

Nike and the rise of sneaker culture

&#; : Phil Knight and his former University of Oregon coach, Bill Bowerman, found the shoe business Blue Ribbon Sports. Three years later the duo release the Tiger Cortez.

&#; : Adidas debuts the Stan Smith, a shoe known for its minimalist design. It notably features perforated holes instead of three stripes.

The bride wore white Keds

Yoko Ono and John Lennon holding their wedding certificate, ; Ono was wearing a pair of Keds.

&#; early s: Walt (&#;Clyde&#;) Frazier becomes the first NBA player with his own shoe: Puma&#;s suede Clyde.

&#;: Blue Ribbon Sports is renamed Nike, and the company adopts its iconic swoosh logo.

Gofar contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.

&#; : Vans debuts the #95 (later called Era). A canvas shoe with a grippy sole, it becomes hugely popular with skateboarders.

&#; : Nike&#;s groundbreaking Waffle Trainer hits store shelves. The shoe has a grid sole that Bowerman developed by experimenting with his wife&#;s waffle iron.

&#; : Reebok begins selling its Freestyle shoe, which is specifically designed for aerobics. The shoe is a high-top with a Velcro strap around the ankle.

&#; : Vans introduces a line of slip-on shoes that feature a black-and-white checkerboard pattern.

&#; : New Balance begins selling its 990 shoe, the first sneaker to cost $100 (more than $325 in ).

&#; : American basketball player Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls signs an endorsement contract with Nike and begins wearing the company&#;s shoes. Their partnership will make both Jordan and Nike international icons.

&#; : Gucci becomes the first luxury fashion label to release a sneaker. The tennis shoe features red and green stripes.

: Air Jordans are first sold to the public. The shoes&#;known as Air Jordan 1&#;are designed by Peter Moore with input from Michael Jordan. The footwear becomes a pop culture phenomenon, and it helps launch shoe culture.

&#; : The hip-hop group Run-DMC releases the song &#;My Adidas&#;; all the members wear the company&#;s Superstar shoe. That year Run-DMC signs with Adidas, becoming the first nonathletes to be paid to endorse sneakers. Run-DMC is at the forefront of the growing trend of musicians popularizing sneakers.

Did You Know?

In a pair of Air Jordan 13s worn by Michael Jordan in game two of the NBA finals sold for $2.2 million.

&#; : Nike&#;s Air Jordans II go on sale, and they are credited with creating a new market for sneakers that make a fashion statement.

&#; : Reebok introduces a shoe that has a pump in the tongue. It is designed to create a better fit.

&#; : American basketball player Sheryl Swoopes becomes the first female athlete to have a sneaker named after her, Nike Air Swoopes.

&#; : The fashion house Prada debuts a high-end sneaker, and other brands soon begin selling their own luxury athletic shoes.

&#; : Backed by the huge popularity of Air Jordans, Nike creates a separate subsidiary for its Jordan line of merchandise.

Are you interested in learning more about Canvas Sneaker Manufacturers? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!