KEEN
Family-owned footwear company founded in 2003 in Portland, Oregon, making hybrid outdoor shoes with ethically sourced and recycled materials and no PFAS.
KEEN is a family-owned footwear company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. It designs original hybrid outdoor footwear intended to combine comfort, versatility and durability for outdoor enthusiasts and everyday users. Its first product, the Newport sandal, was designed by founders Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst and remains the company's best-selling shoe more than two decades later.
The company's work spans footwear design and manufacturing, sustainable materials and chemistry, and domestic US production; manufacturing was relocated from Portland to Kentucky. KEEN uses ethically sourced leather and recycled materials, and eliminated PFAS from all of its shoes in 2018, an approach it describes as "Consciously Created" and framed by the principle of "forever shoes, not forever chemicals".
KEEN operates as a values-led business with a stated commitment to treating business as a force for positive change, and reports maintaining a startup-like culture as it has grown into a globally recognised brand. Through its KEEN Effect initiative, the company has donated more than $18 million to nonprofits and causes worldwide, supporting responsible outdoor recreation and environmental conservation.