KEEN Footwear Starts Upcycling Leather Cars Seat Scraps into Its Iconic Styles, Part of Its Detox the Planet Initiative

PORTLAND, Ore. (Mar. 17, 2021) – ​KEEN, Inc  (KEEN), the global footwear brand on a mission to make the outside inclusive and accessible to all, today announced it will reuse leather scraps from car seat manufacturers and upcycle them into footwear, expanding its Detox the Planet Initiative. Shoes featuring these repurposed scraps will arrive as early as Spring ‘22,  and be in select styles like the award winning Targhee.

“As part of KEEN’s Detox The Planet Initiative, this effort is both gathering waste before it goes into landfills and reducing the amount of new leather that needs to be created,” said Erik Burbank, Vice President of the KEEN Effect. “We’re taking the uncommon approach of working directly with a world class tannery serving the auto industry located near our KEEN factory in Thailand. We think it is cool that scrap leather from an SUV seat can be turned into an outdoor sandal or hiking boot.” 

With an estimated 90 million cars produced annually around the world, this approach has the potential to keep millions of pounds of waste from going to landfills if adopted broadly.

Aside from upcycling scrap, KEEN is committed to only working with tanneries that have achieved a Gold Certified rating by the Leather Working Group.  This rating has only been achieved by approximately five percent of the world’s tanneries, and signals that they employ a closed-loop, zero liquid waste discharge system that dramatically reduces water consumption and eliminates groundwater pollution.

 “Leather is great material for footwear and can be an environmentally good choice when used thoughtfully,” says Himanshu Patel, Senior Materials Manager at KEEN.  “We are constantly looking for ways to advance our Detox the Planet Initiative.  Reaping and upcycling waste, tanning leather in the most responsible way, and looking for other natural alternatives to toxic chemicals and petrochemical -based synthetics are avenues to advance our journey,” adds Patel, “Continuing to use the planet’s resources in the same way is no longer an option.”  

To learn more about KEEN Effect, visit www.keenfootwear.com/the-keen-effect.html 

 

About KEEN

Driven by a passion to make the outside and trades accessible for all, KEEN is a values-led, family-owned footwear brand from Portland, Oregon committed to creating original and versatile products, enhancing lives, and inspiring adventures outside. Founded in 2003, it launched a revolution in the  footwear industry with the debut of the Newport adventure sandal. It continues to launch game-changing products and establish new standards for performance, comfort, and design while actively working to Detox The Planet. The brand formalized its values commitment under the banner of The KEEN Effect.  Learn more at www.keenfootwear.com

 

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Morgan Lang
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