The Keen Boat in Amsterdam

Soon after we met the other members of the group, coming mainly from Northern Europe, Germany and England and then Keen’s European team, we rode our bicycles and reached the brand’s headquarters. A single and large open space, divided according to the different areas of competence. A comfortable place, with attention to details and obviously made of recycled materials, as demonstrated by the wooden floor coming form an old gym. A stimulating, creative and aggregation area. Keen is a young brand, born in 2003 in Portland, Oregon which has managed to distinguish itself by focusing on sustainability, strongly supporting its values and trying to convey its continuous willing to work. It is not just an American company specialized in footwear, but it is a brand created for the outdoor, which feels the need to do more, to make the world a better place, taking into consideration the the environment with its families, community and future. Can a sandal protect the toes? From this simple design challenge it all started and the brand’s values ​​began to emerge, those which still today are real cornerstones for the company: quality, integrity, health and attention to details are the basis of everything and make Keen the reality it is today.

We’ve been invited to the presentation of their inaugural tour: “Better takes action Boat”, in collaboration with their partner Plastic Whale, an association active in the Netherlands and in the world for more than fifteen years, where they unveiled the launch of their boat, made with waste collected in the Amsterdam canals and then recycled. The boat is characterized by a bright yellow hull, a color that recalls the brand’s logo.

A beautiful initiative that aims to educate and raise awareness about sustainability. We’ve been divided into three groups on three different vessels and we had the chance to try the real experience of channel cleaning together with Plastic Whale volunteers. Only in a couple of hours, thanks to the fishing nets they gave us, we collected a dozen bags filled with plastic, polystyrene, glass bottles and other kind of garbage. Keen’s initiative is just another example of their commitment in having a healthy and clean environment. Over the years they have always striven to give the right example, supporting and involving a variety of initiatives including cleaning beaches and mountains, but also donating funds and products during the worst natural disasters in recent years. This summer they are sailing with their new boat to spread their message in Hamburg and Munich, Germany on June 22nd and 30th and in London, UK on July 13th. Just a small action is enough to achieve a big change. The ocean in 2050 will be a complete dump and proportionally we will have more plastic than fish. Is that the future we want?