sneakers go back a long wey In the late 18th century,people wore rubber soled soled shoes celled plimsolls but they were pretty crude for one thing there was no right foot or left foot Around 1892 the U.S. Rubber company came up wait more comfortable rubber sneakers wait canvas tops called keds. By 1917, these sneakekers begen to be mass produced. (They got the nickname sneakers because they were so quiet a person wearing them could sneak up on someone)