Why are we talking about socks? To most people, socks come in a 6-pack in a plastic bag. You don’t think about them until you have a hole in them. Then you toss them out and get a new pair. But fast fashion has an impact on cultures and the environment—as does making products overseas.
When Brian Anthony, our Senior Business Unit Manager of Soft Goods, considered the carbon footprint of socks manufactured abroad and the fact that most cotton socks only last a season—well, it didn’t sit well with him. Instead, Brian felt empowered to take KEEN down a different path (an approach we call Consciously Created).
“I can guarantee this is not how most companies make socks," Brian says. “The only reason to make things is to make it better. We want to make fewer socks.”
We are proud to make durable, long-lasting (and super comfortable) socks made with American wool that’s 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, employing American factory-workers, and reducing the amount of waste in landfills.
And that brings up the KEEN socks themselves: Contoured support, a comfy left and right fit, and the KEEN Wunderseam (a flat hidden seam for an irritation-free toe zone)—they’re truly a thing of lasting beauty.
At KEEN, our teams work every day to create more sustainable products. Learn more about what we mean when we say "Consciously Created," and the steps we’re taking to reduce our impact.
