Keen creates ‘world’s smallest footwear factory’
19/07/2017
The company has described UNEEKBOT as “the world’s smallest footwear factory”. The robot will allow Keen to create custom shoes in a retail setting for the first time.
“This project allows Keen to chart a new course within the footwear industry,” says Casey Sheahan, Keen president. “This is the next evolution in what we make, and how we make it”.
UNEEKBOT will use the consumer’s preferences to customise the key components of each UNEEK product. This will include the sole, heel, cord colours and hardware.
Keen has said that the manufacturing process cuts production time in half. It added that building the footwear with the consumer present cuts the brand’s carbon footprint as it eliminates the need to ship products after production.
“By bringing the manufacturing process to the retail setting, Keen is challenging the status quo and engaging fans directly with a completely new in-store experience,” says Tyler LaMotte, Keen vice president of global brand marketing. “A hyper-local manufacturing process is groundbreaking, both in production and environmental footprint.”
The UNEEKBOT will be officially launched on July 21 at Keen’s pop-up store in the Harajuku district of Tokyo. It will also be present at the forthcoming Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Salt Lake City, US (July 26-29).
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