PRO-Keds began in 1949 as a brand aimed at sports and athletic performance. Based on quality, durability and a solid reputation, PRO-Keds became one of the leading names in athletic footwear. The first PRO-Keds shoe, originally released as the Royal Tread, was the Royal, a classic canvas basketball shoe in high and low tops featuring an identifying red and blue power stripe adjacent to the toe. The Royal was worn and endorsed by the then Minneapolis Lakers, the first-ever NBA champions, who won five consecutive titles in PRO-Keds, led by the great George Mikan. By the late 70's, PRO-Keds was worn by a portfolio of NBA stars and had become tantamount with the biggest personalities in sports. The athletic shoe brand grew into a full performance line for athletes, making PRO-Keds one of the oldest shoe brands in the world. Many styles attained cult status in the neighborhoods of New York among the streetwise who adopted PRO-Keds shoes as the first real sneakers with style. PRO-Keds became the shoe of choice with b-boys everywhere and earned its place as a true icon of early hip-hop culture. After an absence of nearly 20 years, PRO-Keds shoes are reissuing some classic styles from its archives such as the Royal Canvas, the Court King and the historic Royal Master basketball shoe, bringing to life, once again, the heritage and history of this athletic brand. To this day, PRO-Keds continues to stay rooted in its heritage with its classic styles while reinvigorating the footwear category with designs that capture today s popular culture trends. In addition, Pro-Keds continues to progressively release authentic sports originals in a wide array of colors and materials, staying at the top of their game!