The story of KEEN starts with a simple question: can a sandal protect your toes? In 2003, founders Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst set out to find the answer, creating the Newport; a sandal with a protective rubber toe bumper, originally designed for life on the water. A slightly strange idea at the time, but that was exactly the point. Why choose between an open sandal and a protective shoe when you could have both?

The Newport soon became the starting point for something much bigger. Over the years, KEEN has expanded into sandals, sneakers, hiking shoes and boots, all built around the same ideas: comfort, protection and versatility. Case in point? The UNEEK, a radically stripped-back shoe made from two cords and a sole that moves with the foot. The common thread is that KEEN has always been more interested in doing its own thing than playing by the usual rules. 

For KEEN, what goes into a shoe matters just as much as where it takes you. The brand owns and operates three manufacturing facilities, in Thailand, the Dominican Republic and the US, which together produce around 27% of its footwear. In 2025 its American Built line moved to a new home in Kentucky, where skilled workers, robotics and advanced manufacturing come together to build, prototype, inspect and test shoes under one roof. The idea is simple: more control over the process, better products.

Materials are crucial too. KEEN uses recycled materials across selected styles, from webbing made with post-consumer plastic bottles to outsoles incorporating agricultural waste. Some styles also use leather from Leather Working Group-certified tanneries. And since 2018, every KEEN shoe has been made without PFAS (the so-called “forever chemicals”). It’s part of a bigger approach the brand calls Consciously Created: make things to last, use materials more thoughtfully and keep shoes in use for longer. 

The best thing about KEEN? You don’t actually need to be heading into the wilderness to wear it. Pair the Newport with loose trousers and a simple tee, let a chunky sneaker add some edge to a more polished look, or simply throw on your favourite pair for a day that starts in town and ends somewhere greener. KEEN’s designs are always functional, and that’s exactly what makes them cool.