KEEN’s Fall/Winter 2020 Products Continue To Lead in Sustainability

November 12, 2019

Pesticide-Free Eco Anti-Odor, PFC-Free Water Repellency, Certified Environmentally Preferred Leather, and Recycled P.E.T. Plastic Used in New Styles

PORTLAND, Ore. — KEEN, Inc. (KEEN), the Portland, Oregon-based brand on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire adventures outside, continues its “Consciously Created” approach by choosing materials that favor sustainability, do not disrupt the natural order and do not harmfully impact the environment.

On its detox journey, KEEN has switched to: PFC-free water repellency that has eliminated 150+ tons of fluorinated chemicals from being released into the environment; pesticide-free Eco Anti-Odor that saves 15,400 pounds of harmful pesticides each year; certified environmentally preferred leather that conserves 208 Olympic-sized swimming pools of water annually; and recycled P.E.T. plastic that prevents millions of plastic bottles from winding up in landfills and oceans. These more sustainable choices are featured in KEEN’s eco-minded footwear for fall/winter 2020 activities, everyday life, and warm-weather escapes, including the new Revel IV winter boot, Astoria West sandal, and Howser slip-on.

“We’ve embraced an environmentally aware approach since the brand and business started 16 years ago,” says KEEN General Manager Erik Burbank. “The vision of our detox journey came to life in 2013 with a simple idea—we want to be conscious of how we create our products by removing unnecessary chemicals and materials that have been standard operating procedure in the industry for decades.  While we’ve made significant progress as a leader in this space, we recognize that there is still a long way to go on this journey.”

After introducing sandals containing recycled P.E.T. plastic fiber in its spring/summer 2020 collection, KEEN has more than doubled its use of this sustainable material this season. Recycled P.E.T. plastic is being upcycled into the webbing of KEEN’s new women’s-specific sandal, Astoria West (MSRP $115 USD), a lighter, more progressive version of KEEN’s iconic adventure sandal. Designed on a women’s last to give active, adventure-minded women a supportive fit, it contains recycled P.E.T. plastic webbing and bungee, secured in a lace-lock system, and an insole contoured for a woman’s foot. It also has zonal Aquastop traction with siping technology that helps wick water away in slippery situations. By launching this sandal in the fall, KEEN hopes to inspire fans to escape to sandal weather, no matter the season.

“The KEEN Astoria West is a versatile sandal, made for women who live for adventure, love their planet, and need one pair of sandals that can do it all,” says Dana Strand, Senior Global Product Line Manager, Waterfront. “We know that a lot of our fans escape to the warmer spots of the world this time of year. As we say, ‘It’s sunny somewhere!’”

Sustainable plastic fiber is also being used in quilted uppers of KEEN’s iconic comfort slip-on, the Howser (MSRP $85 USD). KEEN is celebrating 10 years of the extreme comfort of the Howser collection with new looks for men, women, and kids, from plaid to fuzzy to quilted recycled P.E.T. nylon—all with pesticide-free insoles for healthier ecosystems. For odor control, the conventional practice is to treat insoles with potentially carcinogenic pesticides that kill the microbes that lead to odor. With Eco Anti-Odor, KEEN uses a naturally occurring probiotic proven just as effective in odor control, with none of the downstream environmental impacts.

“The Howser slip-on has been an icon of comfort and versatility for 10 years,” says Lisa Demarkis, Business Unit Director, Lifestyle. “KEEN fans bring these shoes camping, they use them as ‘après shoes’ after rock climbing or skiing, and they walk the dog in them. Really anywhere and anytime—and any season—you want total comfort. The fact that they are made to step lighter on the planet just adds to the feel-good factor.”

But it’s KEEN’s new winter boot, the Revel IV (MSRP $170 USD), that clearly creates a new standard for performance and environmental stewardship. In addition to using Eco Anti-Odor, the mesh collar, tongue, tongue gusset, and insulation of the KEEN Revel IV boot all contain recycled P.E.T. plastic. With KEEN.WARM Recycled P.E.T. insulation in the upper, plus three layers of cold-fighting technology underfoot with KEEN’s Heat Trapolator, the Revel IV boot keeps feet warm and comfortable during winter activities with 360 degrees of heat retention along with keeping the cold out. It also keeps feet on the ground with the KEEN.Polar Traction outsole, which offers extra grip from micro-glass fibers in the flexible rubber sole for a micro-cleat effect on icy surfaces.

This waterproof leather boot is made of environmentally preferred leather from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG). KEEN sources leather exclusively from LWG-certified tanneries, reducing chemical use, negative impacts on our watersheds, and saving millions of gallons of fresh water annually. The leather is treated with a PFC-free durable water repellent for healthier ecosystems. Durable water repellents (DWRs) are commonly used in footwear and apparel. Unfortunately, DWRs generally contain Perfluorinated Chemicals (PFCs). These compounds are suspected carcinogens which degrade very slowy and persist in our environment. KEEN is a leader in the footwear industry having moved to safe, effective PFC-free alternative to repel water and dirt.

“We are really excited about our new Revel platform for FW20,” says Chris Lindgren, Global Business Unit Director, Trailhead. “It’s a perfect blend of our Consciously Created approach and performance features for great experiences in winter adventures! Offering our fans a range of insulation options, 200g and 400g, along with height options and upper material options, means they’ll be ready for whatever type of activity they are pursuing from trail to mountain to town.”

KEEN Kids styles also put these sustainable methods into play. The new KEEN Kids’ Redwood Mid waterproof winter boot (MSRP $85 USD) features premium environmentally preferred leather with PFC-Free water repellency, plus pesticide-free Eco Anti-Odor insoles. This classic leather snow boot takes winter fun to an extreme with gussets that keep snow out, KEEN.WARM insulation rated to -25°F, and mitten-friendly closures.

“At KEEN Kids, we know our fans expect our footwear to be thoughtful in design and the impact we make on the planet, which is especially relevant in the kids category. All of our products are designed and built based on our Consciously Created approach, with technologies like Eco Anti-Odor, LWG-certified leather, and PFC-free water repellency,” says Keith Denny, Global Business Unit Director Kids. “The Redwood boot is a great example of how we design products that can be used to explore the outdoors in all conditions while reducing our impact on the places we play.”

KEEN’s new fall/winter 2020 collection will be available at keenfootwear.com and outdoor and sporting goods stores across the country in the summer of 2020.

Please direct KEEN media inquiries to Ashley Williams at ashley.williams@keenfootwear.com.

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About KEEN: Driven by a passion for life outside, KEEN is a values-led, independently owned brand from Portland, Oregon, that’s on a mission to create original and versatile products, improve lives, and inspire adventures outside. Founded in 2003, it launched a revolution in the footwear industry with the introduction of the Newport adventure sandal and has continued to launch disruptive products and establish new standards for performance, comfort, and design. As a family-owned company, KEEN has made doing good part of doing business since day one. By working with non-profit partners, consciously creating its products, providing grant funding to grassroots organizations, and activating communities and individuals to protect the places where we work and play, KEEN puts its values in motion to leave the world a better place. Learn more at https://www.keenfootwear.com