{"id":160732,"date":"2014-06-23T08:32:27","date_gmt":"2014-06-23T15:32:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=160732"},"modified":"2020-07-13T14:15:44","modified_gmt":"2020-07-13T21:15:44","slug":"keen-the-choices-we-make-to-make-shoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/keen-the-choices-we-make-to-make-shoes","title":{"rendered":"The Choices We Make to Make Shoes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of the Consciously Created content series<\/a>, sponsored by KEEN. This article was first published on the\u00a0KEEN Blog<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

We don\u2019t like using the word \u201csustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Because the most sustainable choice would be to not make anything at all. But products make it possible to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, connect with the world and each other, and do some good while doing all that. And we believe in all of those things, too.<\/p>\n

So, for us, it\u2019s about being more conscious of all the choices that go into making a shoe and doing everything we can to minimize our impact on the planet. It\u2019s rethinking the way things are usually done and acting on our values by doing things differently. Even when it isn\u2019t the easiest path to take.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what we mean when we say our shoes are \u201cConsciously Created<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Behind every KEEN shoe are dozens of responsible choices. Some of these choices are small, like using recycled aluminum eyelets or webbing made from recycled plastic bottles, or harvesting the waste from one shoe to make something new. And sometimes those choices are big, like\u00a0building our own factories in Oregon<\/a>, Mexico, and Thailand. We\u2019ve been on a detox journey to eliminate everything that shouldn\u2019t end up in our products and to do things better.<\/p>\n

Every step is a step closer to \u201csustainable.\u201d A few of our favorite milestones along the way include:<\/p>\n

PFC-Free Water Repellency<\/a>\u00a0for a Safer Environment<\/strong>
\nWe started taking steps five years ago to eliminate this \u201cforever chemical\u201d from our supply chain and work with suppliers on a safe, durable alternative. By 2019, we were sourcing only PFC-free water repellency. So far, we have eliminated 150+ tons of fluorinated chemicals from being released into the environment.<\/p>\n

Pesticide-Free Odor Control<\/a>\u00a0for Healthier Ecosystems<\/strong>
\nBy using a natural alternative to control odor, we eliminate 7 tons of hazardous chemicals from going into the environment every year. All KEEN insoles (and\u00a0replacement insoles<\/a>) are infused with Eco Anti-Odor that uses probiotics, not pesticides. (That\u2019s good news for feet, too.)<\/p>\n

Certified Better Leather<\/a>\u00a0for Cleaner Water<\/strong>
\nTanning leather is a dirty, resource-intensive process. Our Leather Working Group-certified tanneries are making it much cleaner with solutions that reduce chemicals, energy usage, and water pollution. KEEN only sources environmentally preferred, LWG-certified leather.\u00a0Take a journey to India to learn more about the closed-loop water treatment used there.<\/a><\/p>\n

Recycled P.E.T. Plastic for Happier Oceans and Less Waste<\/strong>
\nBy 2050, some experts say there could be more plastic in the ocean (by weight) than fish. Using recycled plastic fibers saves energy and resources, and helps keep millions of P.E.T. bottles out of the waste stream. This year, we\u2019ve started using recycled plastic in webbing, lining, and laces in select shoes. In some KEEN styles, up to 9 plastic bottles are upcycled per shoe.<\/p>\n

American-Made, American-Spun Wool for a Smaller Carbon Footprint<\/strong>
\nWe are proud to make\u00a0durable, long-lasting (and super comfortable) socks with American wool<\/a>\u00a0that\u2019s processed in the U.S., and knit in the U.S. The benefits speak for themselves: bolstering the U.S. wool industry, decreasing shipping miles and employing American factory-workers.<\/p>\n

100% Organic Cotton for Better, American-Made T-shirts<\/strong>
\nAll KEEN tees<\/a>\u00a0are made in America with organic cotton and a print\/dye process that dramatically reduces water consumption and avoids harmful chemicals.<\/p>\n

Upcycled and Recycled Materials for More Circular Products<\/strong>
\nBeing resourceful is a big part of how we do things at KEEN. Not just in our products, but also in store displays and all around our headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Over the years, our Harvest collection has included shoes made out of denim waste,\u00a0bags made from coffee sacks<\/a>, and flip-flops made from shoe waste.<\/p>\n

Water-Based Solvents to Reduce Greenhouse Gases<\/strong>
\nWe\u2019ve been testing this for the past year and have just started integrating this into our supply chain. Look for water-based solvents coming to your KEEN shoes soon!<\/p>\n

Plant-Based Cushioning for a More Biodegradable Insole<\/strong>
\nThe world\u2019s most plant-based performance foam insole is coming this spring!<\/p>\n

These are a few of the steps we\u2019re excited about. Every step makes an impact, and we\u2019re not stopping anytime soon!<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of the Consciously Created content series, sponsored by KEEN. This article was first published on the\u00a0KEEN Blog.\u00a0 We don\u2019t like using the word \u201csustainable.\u201d Because the most sustainable choice would be to not make anything at all. But products make it possible to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":57,"featured_media":160734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[387],"tags":[2023],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-160732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hike","tag-keen"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/hike\/keen-the-choices-we-make-to-make-shoes","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"The Choices We Make to Make Shoes","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/keen-the-choices-we-make-to-make-shoes","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/hike\/keen-the-choices-we-make-to-make-shoes"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/06\/KEEN_SS20_TERRADORA_3778-copy-e1592926958780.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/06\/KEEN_SS20_TERRADORA_3778-copy-e1592926958780.jpg?fit=4000%2C2010"},"articleSection":"Hike","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Chelsea Davis"}],"creator":["Chelsea Davis"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["keen"],"dateCreated":"2014-06-23T15:32:27Z","datePublished":"2014-06-23T15:32:27Z","dateModified":"2020-07-13T21:15:44Z"},"rendered":"