![Keen Newport](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Keen_Newport_.jpg)
Keen (stylized KEEN) is an American footwear and accessories company based in
Portland, Oregon
Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...
. It was founded in 2003
by Martin Keen and Rory Fuerst. The company's products are sold in retail locations throughout the domestic American market and also are distributed worldwide.
History
What eventually became known as the Newport Sandal, was invented in 1999 by Martin Keen in Jamestown, Rhode Island. In 2003, the first Keen sandals and shoes were put into production and feature a protective black toe bumper.
Keen initially found a niche market in sailing and other outdoor and water activities, and offered products for many outdoor activities as well as lifestyle shoes. It later expanded to a variety of styles, casual and cold-weather footwear, bags, and clothing, including safety work footwear, such as the Keen Utility Tacoma work boots.
Keen has been a fast-growing company since its inception. ''
Footwear News
''Footwear News'' (sometimes referred to as ''FN'') is a weekly print publication on the topic of women's, men's, and children's footwear. Founded in 1945, its coverage is for the fashion design and fashion retail industries. It was originally pub ...
'' named the company 2003's "Launch of the Year". In 2009, the company had estimated sales of $130 to $140 million,
and for 2011, revenue had grown to approximately $240 million.
In reaction to the 2004
Asian tsunami, Keen joined the relief effort by pulling their $1M advertising budget and diverting it to disaster relief.
This gesture turned into their long-term Hybrid.Care program, where they partner with organizations whose vision they share, including
The Conservation Alliance,
1 KG More,
Leave No Trace, and
Big City Mountaineers. Keen Utility, through its non-profit partnerships within the Project Build program, has helped veterans, provided protective footwear for those in need, and supported conservation corps work across the country.
In early 2006, the company relocated its headquarters from Alameda, California to a restored five story building in Portland, Oregon, located in the historic Pearl District.
The company opened a plant in Portland in 2010 to begin manufacturing some footwear in the United States using materials sourced from around the world.
Keen's footwear factory is less than five minutes from the Keen headquarters in downtown Portland, which is where their American Built collection is made. In 2012, Keen purchased the HQ Building in Portland's Pearl District for $10.8 million to serve as company headquarters and also host their retail store.
They re-purposed almost all existing materials within the old building, and the renovation was completed with less than one dumpster of waste instead of the normal 20-25 if approached the typical way.
See also
*
List of companies based in Oregon
References
{{reflist
Clothing companies established in 2003
Companies based in Alameda, California
Manufacturing companies based in Portland, Oregon
Shoe companies of the United States
Privately held companies based in Oregon
2003 establishments in California