For Every Cause, There’s an Effect. We call it The KEEN Effect.
Doing the right thing since 2003
We don’t like the term “corporate responsibility.” We are social and environmental justice action-takers who make shoes to make a difference — from access and inclusion to creating a lighter footprint on the planet.
5-minute read
A motorcycle accident turned KEEN fan Lydia Bradley Meek into an amputee. It didn’t slow her down.
6-minute read
Crazy to think you have to carry a gun when fishing. Chad Brown, founder of Soul River, a KEEN Effect grantee, does. Read on.
5-minute read
Women are a minority in the mountains. And in Congress. And as CEOs. Caroline Gleich is trying to change that. Let’s climb.
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Black children are 5x more likely to drown than white children. With Outdoor Afro’s help, we're working together to change that. Read on.
4-minute read
The pandemic has made giving kids access to the outdoors more important than ever. In 2021, we helped get 1,800 kids outside. Look at all these smiling faces!
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Streams, not screens. In 2019, we helped over 7,000 children reconnect with nature for 218,590 total hours. That’s like 25 years of outside! Read on.
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In the rainforest of Costa Rica, kids are helping clean up their local rivers so they can swim in them like their grandparents once did. Read on.
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Helping kids overcome Nature Deficit Disorder became a lot more challenging in 2020, but our KEEN Effect KiDS Grantees got creative. Read on.
CONSERVATION ALLIANCE GRANTS
Now Accepting Project Proposals
Twice a year, KEEN nominates two North American conservation projects to the Conservation Alliance grant cycle. If your program increases access and inclusion through the conservation of North American public lands, apply to be one of our nominees.
DETOX THE PLANET OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE
Join our PFC Free Journey
It took us 4 years to get these extremely toxic chemicals out of our products. It’s a constant battle to keep them out, but it’s one we can win if we work together.
4-minute read
Landfills are the third largest source of human-related methane emissions — 28x worse than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas (yikes). So here’s an idea.
5-minute read
We want forever shoes, not “forever chemicals” like PFCs. It took 4 years, but today we spec our products with PFC-free materials. See why.
3-minute read
We hate single-use anything, especially plastic. So we’re trying to weave recycled plastic into sandal webbing, boot insulation, and anywhere else we can. Here’s how.
1-minute read + video
We’ve separated from the herd by making socks with American-grown, American-spun merino wool. For more trail miles and fewer shipping miles. See the difference.
OUR DETOX JOURNEY
“In 5 years, we’ve kept over 150 tons of fluorinated chemicals from being introduced into the environment.”
It took about 10,000 hours to eliminate PFCs from our supply chain, and it feels really good.
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A rainforest in Alaska? Yup, the Tongass rainforest is one of the largest climate sanctuaries on Earth, and its old-growth trees are under threat. Here's what you can do.
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Our first-ever national trail clean-up helped stewardship groups clean up, too — with $75,000 in KEEN Effect grants (win-win!) New to trail clean-ups? Here’s how to start.
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This land is our land. All of ours. We’ve supported The Conservation Alliance and its relentless pursuit to protect access to public lands from the start. Join us.
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There’s magic in the Midwest: Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. We dug our paddles in to help protect it. Get involved.
5-minute read + video
Fishing plastic waste out of waterways is our favorite kind of fishing. In one summer, we removed 200+ lbs from Europe’s canals. Be inspired.
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When an Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami in 2004, it set our values in motion, too. Learn more.
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Together we can help those who need it most: everyday heroes and families in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Join us.
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Two years after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, KEEN employees used their volunteer hours to help folks rebuild. Volunteer.
8-minute read + video
After helping raise more than 10 million Japanese yen to assist typhoon recovery efforts, a few of us jumped in to do more. Get involved.
1-minute read + video
How do you move forward when you’ve lost everything? Together. Send help.
1-minute read + video
With COVID-19, wearing masks on our faces is just as important as wearing shoes on our feet. We converted a line in our factory to make them for folks on the frontlines. Join us.