A Responsible Steward.

I hate spending money on foot apparel unless they are for hiking, biking, or running. I own many pairs of the previously mentioned footwear for the varying uses. Work or ‘stylish’ shoes is where I tend to pinch that penny till it almost turns to dust - this is not an exaggeration. I would basically buy cheap brown leather shoes and would wear them thin. The back-up that I kept in my work cabinet was a pair of brown Doc Martins, yes I said it, that I have for over 10 years now. That is penny pinching where it counts.

While purchasing some much needed running socks, I happened to notice the Keen walking shoes wall and found the answer to my dilemma. Brown durable leather shoes for walking around town and an appropriate style for work. But I left the store trying to make myself believe that my old Docs were still good enough and didn’t need replacing. But several more miles in the old shoes told me different.

I have always liked Keen sandals even though I had never owned a pair myself. I found that their ongoing pursuit of making durable footwear adventurers was only trumped by their passion of making them through environmental, social, and corporate responsible ways. I learnt a great deal about the company while selling them at Trailhead.

But that was not where they stop. Keen supports workers rights organizations that assist in attempting to maintain said rights. They fund raise and donate vast amounts of money that is set aside from portions of their budget. Keen also moved sustainability to higher echelons by looking into their buildings right down to creating a smaller and 100% recyclable shoe box.

I decided to try them on and only after a few minutes I was hooked as they seemed extremely comfortable and the style suited me well. I think the other major reason was that I knew I was standing in shoes that were made with many elements of sustainability, human rights and human assistance in mind. Even when I noticed later that the tag stated ‘Made in China’ I decided to ask the company why this was and sent them an email.

Not expecting a response as many corporations wouldn’t even give you the time of day. Not only did I get a response but I received a personal response that outlined my concerns and informed me of the company’s initiatives and hopes to change this process as it moves along. I was extremely impressed and have created a dialogue which as Ash from Keen states "this is the only way change takes place" [through dialogue].

During the discussion Ash lamented similarly to my own feelings understanding that in North America we too often are swept up by marketing tools and do not stop to look into what we are actually purchasing. I make mistakes and sometimes by those things that I know I shouldn’t but for the most part I attempt to buy right and buy smart only when buying new is necessary.

They are a company that make an affordable shoe (my Briggs were only $119) that you can feel good about buying. Check out the Keen site for the entire history as I can not do them complete justice here.