KEEN
KEEN is a rapidly growing manufacturer of performance, casual and work footwear as well as apparel. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in Portland, Oregon. Today it maintains manufacturing operations in Europe, Asia and North America.
KEEN’s distinctive footwear was apparent from its first product—the Newport sandal, which featured a protective rubber toe designed to be functional on the street, beach or trail—a concept the company calls "hybrid." In its first year of production, KEEN managed an impressive $30 million in sales.
The footwear brand continues to challenge industry norms by introducing original products and methods designed to reduce environmental impact, such as the KEEN Uneek sandals, with an upper material made of cord. To help promote and distribute the Uneek, KEEN also introduced a mostly automated mobile factory that can produce a pair of Uneeks for an individual customer in less than half an hour.
KEEN has been active in philanthropic and sustainability efforts from the start, making significant donations to aid victims of the 2004 earthquake and tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Recently, the company provided financial assistance and footwear to victims of the Camp Fire, California’s largest wildfire ever.
It’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Here are 4 designers you should know
In honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year, SNEWS talked to four Native and Indigenous designers who bring their wisdom and talents to the outdoor industry. Dewayne Dale Jr., Diné, freelancer and former innovation designer at KEEN and Chrome Industries Before becoming a ...read more
Outdoor Trend Report, Part 2: Transparency is on the rise
[This is part two of a three-part series on 2020 gear trends. Read part one here.] With all due respect to the many great outdoor sock brands out there, let’s be honest: For most consumers, socks are a commodity. So when the folks at Nester Hosiery, a North Carolina sockmaker, ...read more
The Voice 50: The hottest gear of next season
After all but losing spring 2020 to the pandemic, retailers and consumers alike are looking for gear to get excited about in 2021. So excited, in fact, that we decided to add their votes to our ranking of next season’s top products. Together, we’ve pored over, narrowed down, and ...read more
Our most popular stories from July 2020
From this point forward, SNEWS will be publishing regular roundups of the articles that drew the most interest to our site each month. July was filled with big news, from changes in the retail space to landmark legislation passed at the federal level. Here are the headlines that ...read more
Industry Buzz: Inclusive outdoor language, Americans sneak into Canada, park visits surge, the rise of skoolies, KEEN and Osprey innovate
What’s in a name: Racist climbing route names, tone-deaf brand terminology, and other instances of offensive language across the outdoor space are being examined anew. [The Colorado Sun] Speaking of language: It’s time to rethink how we talk about skiing, and the subtle ways our ...read more
KEEN and Osprey innovate new ways to keep customers safe
Retailers across the nation are reopening, people are out shopping again, and everyone is wondering just how safe they are, say, sitting down to try on a pair of shoes or getting fitted for a pack. Throughout the outdoor industry, most (if not all) major brands have poured ...read more
Masks might be the product of the year for some outdoor brands
One way to trace the progression of the pandemic is to look at the consumer demand for masks. In the beginning, there were devastating shortages and disturbing stories of profiteers and stockpilers. Then came a period of tenuous equilibrium, when the use of homemade face ...read more
KEEN commits to giving away 100,000 pairs of shoes
When it became clear five days ago that the coronavirus pandemic was not just alarmist, but that it would be devastating for our country, the leadership at KEEN circled up (via ZOOM) to decide what the company could do to help. They talked about how they could leverage what ...read more
The 50 hottest products of the season, ranked
Combing through the season’s new gear can be like bushwhacking through a jungle: slow going. Consider us your personal guide. We spent weeks poring over press releases and product shots, watching embargoed videos, and asking questions about materials, features, and design. Then ...read more
How this Brooklynite translates the outdoors for city dwellers
In the hustle and bustle of Brooklyn and Los Angeles, outdoor lovers take refuge in a naturally-lit, well-curated gear store, Hatchet Outdoor Supply Co., stocking only the most fashionable and functional products. KEEN, Mystery Ranch, Mammut, and Fjällräven blend tastefully ...read more
At $2.6 billion increase, tariffs hit all-time high for outdoor industry
Outdoor businesses are running out of wiggle room for tariffs on all types of products, as duty after duty gets added to the cost of doing business with China. Some brands are turning to their last resort—raising prices. “The China tariffs are looking more and more like a giant ...read more
Industry Buzz: Rab, KEEN, Alpine Start and POW, Joe Prebich, Garth Evans, DPS, and more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. Joe Prebich, formerly of Native, Fjällräven, and most recently, Mammut, is planning "exponential growth" for Eyebobs, a Minneapolis-based designer eyewear maker. ...read more
What you missed at Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect Show
Grassroots Outdoor Alliance Connect show went down as planned over the weekend, despite the cancellation of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, which was to be held in the days following Connect. Connect is a critical microcosm and bellwether of the outdoor industry, and SNEWS was ...read more
Outdoor Industry IQ: Where's the HQ?
Maybe you've traveled there multiple times or maybe you've always wanted to take a tour. In this edition of Outdoor Industry IQ, select the outdoor brand's home base. And if you score at least an 8/10, don't miss the giveaway at the end. This Outdoor Industry IQ quiz is part of ...read more
How the outdoor industry can help Hurricane Dorian survivors
When Alison Hill landed in the Bahamas only days after Hurricane Dorian, destruction surrounded her. The LifeStraw managing director was on one of the first seaplanes to reach Grand Bahama Island, and she was equipped with LifeStraw products and other water filtration systems to ...read more
Industry Buzz: Backcountry, Chris Goddard, KEEN x Sherpa, a shoplifter, Krimson Klover, and more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Coverage opportunity: Is your business doing something for the Global Climate Strike from Sept. 20 to 27? Let Assistant Editor Amelia Arvesen know at ...read more
Industry Buzz: Outstanding Partnership Award winners, #HydrateLike, Outdoor Research, energy legislation, ANWR, and new media neighbors in Boulder
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected] Outdoor Industry Association chimed in on the introduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act 2019: “America’s diverse and unique wildlife are not only ...read more
Plastic Impact Alliance is now more than 200 brands strong
The massive collaborative effort to eliminate single-use plastic from Outdoor Retailer continues to gain steam, with less than two weeks until show time. Of the 200+ members of the Plastic Impact Alliance about 120 of them are exhibitors at OR and will be hosting in-booth water ...read more
Trump hikes tariffs on more outdoor goods from China
Just when it seemed like China and the United States were approaching a trade deal, President Donald Trump increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of imports, including backpacks, leather ski gloves, camp stoves, and other outdoor products. The 10 percent tariff imposed last ...read more
The Plastic Impact Alliance is now 96 brands strong. Will you join?
Last year, the Super Bowl, one of the largest events in the country with more than 100,000 attendees, sought to keep 90 percent of waste out of landfills and send 10 percent to a waste-to-energy plant. Due to its magnitude, some were skeptical. But they pulled it off. Now, it's ...read more
Industry Buzz: KEEN's UNEEKBot, missing alpinists, LEKI, #CoolShops, 360 Adventure Collective, and more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. David Lama, Jess Roskelley, and Hansjörg Auer—three renowned alpinists—are presumed dead after an avalanche swept over them in Canada. As of now, there has been ...read more
Industry Buzz: A new gear subscription option from Cairn, Bellyak, Costa Sunglasses, Gucci's KEEN knockoffs, and more
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. Tariffs on Chinese imports were slated to increase earlier this month, but President Donald Trump put that on hold in the hopes that he'd negotiate with China. ...read more
Industry Buzz: Croakies lifetime warranty, YETI podcast, Outdoor Afro, and how fleece became high fashion
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. Is the end of the government shutdown in sight? Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK), a non-partisan alliance of more than 100 groups including the YMCA of the USA, ...read more
Industry Buzz: Klean Kanteen, American Alpine Club, Brew Dr. Kombucha, Camber Outdoors, and a parody of 'Free Solo'
Keep up by reading Industry Buzz. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. In the midst of the Camp Fire last month, the outdoor industry rallied to support 13 Klean Kanteen employees who lost their homes in Northern California. A ...read more