This Keds Collaboration Is Adorable

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

This summer, I drove down the coast of California and took photos all over the place: at Balboa Park in San Diego, in front of the Bixby Bridge in Big Sur, with a passel of elephant seals on a blustery day.

In every single photo, and in every single activity, I’m wearing Keds. Window shopping? Keds. Sightseeing? Keds. Dancing? Keds — just like Baby in Dirty Dancing.

I’ve also long loved Rifle Paper Co.’s elegant floral stationery and classic prints, so when the brand announced a collaboration with Keds this spring, having a pair seemed suddenly essential. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought so: The first release sold out almost immediately.

Luckily, the second drop hit both the Rifle Paper Co. and Keds websites this week. The collab features a handful of Rifle Paper Co. floral prints on four types of Keds: a platform sneaker, a platform slip-on, the high-tops, and my beloved Champion. The Champions are light pink and floral or cream and floral, but not grandma-style (although I’m sure your grandmother would approve).

Regardless of the pattern or style you choose, you’ll be in illustrious company. Since 1916, Keds have graced the feet of active and adventurous women. In 1955, Emma Rowena Gatewood became the first woman to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail — and she did it wearing Keds.