The web sight for Keen Footwear, www.keenfootwear.com asks people to “follow their dreams.”In my opinion, Keen hiking sandals ARE a dream!!
And the story of their development is a dream come true as well.
Martin Keen, a footwear designer from Rhode Island, was trying to attract attention with his new sandal at a trade show in Las Vegas in 2003.. Keen, 38, a veteran shoe designer as well as an international sailing champion, loved to wear sandals while sailing, but had grown tired of bashing his toes on the cleats and winches and deck fittings. So he designed a hybrid sandal with a closed toe that offered the protection of a shoe and the comfort of a waterproof sandal. Then along came Angel Martiniz a former executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Reebok Ltd. and the former chief executive officer of Rockport Co. shoes, Martinez was a legend in the footwear industry, a 25-year veteran with a stellar track record for building brands. Angel with the business and marketing experience and Martin with the creativity, turned a novel idea into an international success!
"It's an amazing little company," said Mark Sullivan, group editor and publisher of Sporting Goods Business, a publication that tracks the outdoor market from New York City. "It's incredible how quickly they've become a legitimate footwear company. Teva, everyone's funky sandal company, has tried and tried to break out of the sandal business and become a footwear company without success. But Angel has already done in a year what Teva couldn't do in 15 years."
Keen Footwear is now located in Portland Ore, after having its start in Alamdea Ca. It turns out that Portand is home to more than 20 footwear companies and 20 outdoor apparel companies. Genius abounds in Portland!! Smart move for Keen!!
Oh how I love to hike in Keens!!!
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