KEEN to Open First Retail Store in Japan – Third in the World

Portland, OR, June 14, 2012 – KEEN, Inc., manufacturer of hybrid outdoor and casual footwear, bags and socks, announced the opening of its first retail store in Japan on Cat Street in Harajuku (Tokyo), today. The KEEN Garage Harajuku demonstrates the importance of the Japanese outdoor community to the company, while expanding KEEN’s global retail presence to three stores, which include the KEEN Garage U.S. store in Portland, Oregon, and its Canadian Garage in Toronto.

The Tokyo store brings to life KEEN’s passion for playtime and expresses KEEN’s philosophy of HybridLife, built on its dedication to create, play and care. “As a brand from the Pacific Northwest of the U.S., KEEN finds enormous synergy with the Japanese culture of community, innovation and enthusiasm for great playfulness,” says Christa DePoe, KEEN vice president, global online and retail. “The store will be a place where KEEN fans can experience HybridLife, recess and the KEEN community.”

KEEN was successfully introduced into Japan in 2004. KEEN products are now available in more than 1,000 outlets throughout Japan, and the Harajuku store will continue to build the brand foundation, bringing KEEN to life for its fans.

At KEEN Garage Harajuku, fans will be able to find more than 100 KEEN styles, ideal for Japan’s versatile weather and activities from day to night and work to weekends. “KEEN fans can experience products that are already popular in the Japanese market like the Newport H2 and Newport sandals, the Jasper, and the Yogui,” notes DePoe, “and the Harajuku store also will be a good venue to test styles that have not yet been introduced to Japanese fans but have strong popularity in the U.S.”

As a company built on HybridLife, KEEN creates through its original hybrid designs, plays through Recess, and cares through its Hybrid.Care giving program which includes extensive community involvement all over the world. The KEEN team has been engaged in conservation and community efforts across Japan since 2005, partnering with organizations like the Conservation Alliance of Japan, The Big Issue and the Echigo-Tsumari Collaborative.

For more information about KEEN’s retail stores, discover more about KEEN at keenfootwear.com, facebook.com/keeninc and twitter.com/keen.

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About KEEN Garage Harajuku
The new KEEN Garage Harajuku retail store is located at Jingumae 6-14-2, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The store celebrates its grand opening on June 15, 2012 and features an extensive product line of KEEN original hybrid footwear, bags and socks as well as products developed specifically for the Japanese market. Discover more about KEEN Japan at www.keenfootwear.com/us/en/japan/default.aspx, www.facebook.com/pages/KEEN-Garage-Harajuku/449088318440935 and www.twitter.com/keen_japan.

About KEEN
KEEN Inc., manufacturer of original hybrid footwear, bags and socks was founded in 2003. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, KEEN offers innovative hybrid products that enable outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy an active lifestyle. Known for its innovation and creativity, KEEN started with the invention of the first sandal that protects the toe – the Newport. Since its inception, the company has applied that same problem-solving design approach to expand its footwear collection and offer bags and socks. KEEN offers products that allow people to go anywhere: from trekking the wilds of the world, exploring a cool city, heading to work, or skipping to a playground down the street. KEEN’s products are sold in specialty footwear, travel and outdoor retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains worldwide. In 2010 and 2011, KEEN was named one of “America’s Best Places to Work” by Outside magazine. KEEN strives to demonstrate integrity and leadership while promoting a vibrant, inclusive community. Through its Hybrid.Care giving program, KEEN supports a variety of social and environmental organizations around the globe. Discover more about KEEN at keenfootwear.com, facebook.com/keen and twitter.com/keen. Discover more about Recess at recess.keenfootwear.com