Keen’s Uneek design ‘defies traditional manufacturing’
Outdoor brand Keen has launched Open Air Footwear, a design which has been three years in development and which offers a “truly new fit experience”.
The company says it has “ditched traditional machinery” and “defied traditional manufacturing” to make the shoe.
Rory Fuerst, head of Keen’s innovation programme, told sportstextiles: “Around 75% of Uneek uses new methods. We still use traditional sewing machines for the small micro-fibre pieces and use a traditional stock fitting line for attaching the rubber sole to the PU midsole, but most of the upper and upper-to-sole attaching uses completely new methods.
“The process involves a combination of hand work with a progressive positioning system that allows us to build Uneek using no permanent fixing methods that could affect the fit of the final product.”
The water-repellent two-cord construction reduces weight and is made without stitching or welding. The lightweight PU midsole offers durability and a high-traction rubber outsole provides grip on slick surfaces.
"Creating a shoe an unconventional as Uneek represents our irreverent way of thinking when it comes to design and comfort – while keeping true to the hybrid versatility in our DNA,” added Mr Feurst.
