Excellent
Updated:
Jul 21, 2026In 2018, Keen became one of the first major outdoor brands to eliminate PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) from its footwear, and it continues to lead the way toward more responsible chemistry. Keen has also made impressive progress toward integrating low-impact materials into its shoes, including recycled materials, Leather Working Group-certified leather, and repurposed agricultural waste. Still, the brand has room to grow in circularity initiatives, such as repair and recycling services. Want to learn more? We’ll walk you through the details of Keen’s sustainability below.
This sustainability analysis evaluates both product- and brand-level initiatives to capture the full scope of Keen's efforts to reduce its environmental impact. Our research draws from Keen's published sustainability data, third-party certifications (a cornerstone of our process), and correspondence with brand representatives. We have independently researched eight Keen products to date, giving us a broad understanding of the brand’s use of low-impact materials, chemistry, and manufacturing practices.
You can also explore our analyses of other outdoor brands, or use our advanced search to find products that align with your sustainability values
Keen earns our highest transparency rating, “Excellent,” for the information it shares about its sustainability initiatives. The brand publishes a variety of consumer-friendly articles explaining different aspects of its sustainability program, and its annual impact report provides an in-depth look at many of its initiatives. However, the report omits some information we evaluate, such as the percentage of recycled materials used across its products. At the product level, sustainability features are clearly labeled but could be better organized for readability. Keen has also responded promptly to Better Trail's inquiries, helping us better understand its sustainability efforts.
Although Keen does not report the percentage of recycled materials it uses across its products, the brand uses many low-impact materials. Recycled synthetic fabrics have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than their virgin alternatives, help divert waste away from landfills, and reduce the need to extract fossil fuels. Keen uses recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), better known as recycled polyester, in many of its styles. Recycled PET is typically made from plastic water bottles. It also uses recycled nylon and partially recycled wool in select offerings. Notably, the vast majority of Keen shoes we’ve researched incorporate recycled content, although the exact amount is typically not specified.
Very few footwear brands incorporate Bluesign-approved materials into their products, and Keen is no exception. The Bluesign System ensures that textiles and products meet high standards for chemical safety, emissions, and environmental responsibility. Only a handful of shoes on the market feature Bluesign-approved materials, but some footwear brands, like Icebug, use them in select components. We have yet to identify any footwear brands that have signed on as Bluesign System Partners. Still, Keen is taking other steps internally to reduce the chemical impacts of its footwear.
Keen has made a strong effort to remove harmful chemicals from its supply chain. Its Restricted Substances List (RSL) is updated annually in accordance with the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management guidelines, and the brand eliminated antimicrobial treatments in 2018, recognizing that they offer limited benefits while posing unnecessary environmental risks. In 2025, Keen reported that its footwear has been 98% free of bisphenols and phthalates since 2018, though it noted that trace amounts of bisphenol A (BPA) can occasionally be present in recycled polyester feedstock. All Keen footwear is also free of flame retardants, and the company is working to phase out industrial solvents, which can be harmful to both human health and the environment. In 2025, 11% of Keen products were manufactured without solvents, down slightly from 13% in 2024, due in part to its proprietary Keen.Fusion bonding process. The company aims to increase that figure to 30% by 2030. Few outdoor brands have publicly committed to reducing solvent use, making this one of Keen's more noteworthy sustainability initiatives.
Keen was one of the first brands in the outdoor industry to eliminate PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, from its products. PFAS were historically used in outdoor gear for their water- and oil-repellent properties, but unfortunately, this group of chemicals has been associated with a wide range of health impacts, including cancer and developmental delays in children. They’re also environmentally persistent, meaning that they don’t break down—which is why they’re often referred to as forever chemicals. Keen identified PFAS as an issue in 2014 and began the process of phasing out forever chemicals. By 2018, it had eliminated PFAS from all of its products, placing it seven years ahead of the rest of the outdoor industry. Now, Keen is an industry leader in PFAS reduction—it invests in remediation efforts for contaminated areas, engages in advocacy work, and publishes resources for other brands to help eliminate PFAS from their products.
Keen has made meaningful progress in sourcing certified, responsible materials. Since 2017, the brand has been a member of the Leather Working Group, an organization that ensures leather suppliers manage chemicals, water, and energy use while limiting air and noise emissions. In 2025, Keen exclusively sourced leather from suppliers earning a Gold rating, the organization’s highest distinction for environmental impact, traceability, and chemical use. Keen sources wool from sheep that have not been mulesed, but does not specify whether its wool complies with the Responsible Wool Standard, which sets high standards for sheep welfare and the land they graze on. We also love that Keen uses industrial agricultural waste (think husks, leaves, and stems) in its midsole and outsole materials, decreasing reliance on petroleum-based materials.
Keen owns three of its finished goods (Tier 1) factories, located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky; Phimai, Thailand; and Santiago, Dominican Republic. These three factories make just under 30% of Keen shoes, with the remaining 70% made at other factory suppliers across the globe (which Keen does not own). Keen asks its Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to use the Higg Facility Environmental Module to monitor their environmental performance. Additionally, a Code of Conduct governs each factory, and Keen staff and affiliates routinely audit factories to ensure compliance. In 2025, Keen began rolling out Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits across its supply chain partners. However, because Keen does its audits internally, rather than partnering with a third-party accreditation program, it does not meet our responsible manufacturing criteria. Additionally, only a small number of Keen shoes are produced in the USA, although we commend the brand for its domestic manufacturing efforts. Programs like Fair Trade USA, Fair Wear, and amfori BSCI conduct regular audits of factories against fair labor standards, assigning ratings to describe progress and room for improvement.
Although packaging typically accounts for a relatively small share of a product's overall carbon footprint, it remains a significant source of waste. Additionally, virgin plastic packaging materials often rely on non-renewable resources (such as petroleum), while virgin paper materials often contribute to deforestation. At Keen, all shoe boxes are made from 99% recycled content. They’re also curbside recyclable, making it simple to dispose of them responsibly. Several years ago, Keen made a significant effort to reduce the size of its shoe boxes, developing different sizes for various types of shoes. This helped the brand reduce its overall use of packaging materials while improving shipping efficiency; although it doesn’t report the extent of these reductions, we appreciate its efforts to use less packaging for its shoes. Keen also uses 92-100% recycled tissue paper in its shoe boxes. We have not been able to confirm whether Keen uses any other recycled or certified responsible packaging materials.
Like most footwear brands, Keen does not offer repair services for its shoes. Instead, it provides a one-year warranty covering manufacturing defects, although normal wear and tear and certain components, such as laces and insoles, are excluded. While shoe repairs are often more complex than apparel repairs and typically require products to be designed with repairability in mind, they also help extend a product's lifespan and keep it out of the landfill. Because footwear tends to wear out faster than many other types of outdoor gear, we hope to see more brands invest in repair programs. A handful, including Danner and Nnormal, have already begun moving in that direction. Keen does not provide replacement laces, but it does sell replacement insoles to put into your shoes if the stock ones wear out. The brand also launched a care and repair page on its website to help you keep your shoes in use for longer. All in all, this is a major growth area for the footwear industry.
In 2024, Keen launched ReKeen, a resale service for gently used, returned shoes and factory seconds (which usually have minor cosmetic damage). Returned shoes are cleaned and repaired as needed before being sold, and the brand assigns each product a condition grade, so you know what you’re buying. In 2025, the brand expanded the program, now accepting clean, wearable, pre-loved Keen shoes for trade-in. When you trade in your Keen shoes, you earn a 20% off coupon code. Keen attempts to recycle shoes it can’t resell (anything that can't be recycled will be thrown away). One downside is that Keen's one-year warranty does not apply to footwear purchased through ReKeen. Additionally, many of the shoes available through the program are customer returns from Keen's 30-day trial period, which allows footwear to be worn outdoors before being returned. While this means the shoes can no longer be sold as new, resale gives them a second life instead of sending them to a landfill.
Keen has tracked its greenhouse gas emissions since 2021 and has set science-aligned targets to reduce its carbon footprint. The company aims to cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions (from owned facilities and purchased electricity) by 55% by 2033 compared with its 2021 baseline. It also set a target to reduce Scope 3 emissions (from its supply chain, materials, and transportation) by 62% per thousand pairs of shoes by 2033. In 2025, as it prepared to submit its targets for Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) validation, Keen updated its Scope 3 goal to a 45% reduction in emissions intensity per thousand pairs of shoes by 2033. Although these targets have not yet been verified by SBTi, the company expects to complete the validation process in 2026.
Scope 3 emissions account for 99% of Keen’s total emissions, making this the most critical scope for reduction. However, Keen's Scope 3 goal is an emissions intensity target rather than an absolute emissions target. This means the company can achieve its goal even if its total emissions increase, provided emissions per thousand pairs of shoes decline. We consider absolute emissions targets the gold standard, as they decouple emissions from business growth.
In 2024 (the most recent available data), Keen reported emitting 123,017 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e), putting it on par with other large brands. However, because the company has not published its total emissions for 2021 or 2022, we cannot determine whether its absolute emissions have declined since establishing its baseline. Keen does report that its emissions intensity per thousand pairs of shoes fell by 8% between 2021 and 2025. While this represents progress, the company will likely need to accelerate reductions to meet its 2033 target. During the same period, Scope 1 and 2 emissions also declined modestly. In 2025, Keen matched 100% of the electricity used at its owned facilities with renewable energy certificates. Looking ahead, the company plans to further reduce emissions by decarbonizing materials, energy, and logistics while increasing renewable energy use throughout its supply chain.
Keen publishes a thorough annual impact report that covers most of the sustainability criteria we evaluate. The report includes updates on packaging, efforts to eliminate harmful chemicals, greenhouse gas emissions, responsible leather sourcing, and donations supporting conservation and outdoor access. However, it does not disclose the percentage of recycled or bio-based materials used across the brand's products. The report also excludes Keen’s absolute Scope 3 emissions data, which accounts for 99% of its total emissions. Instead, the brand reports on emissions intensity per thousand shoes. We hope future reports include long-term absolute emissions data, which provide a clearer picture of the company's overall progress in reducing its carbon footprint.
Keen is a member of the Outdoor Industry Association Climate Action Corps, a group working to reduce the outdoor industry’s carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, with the aim to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The brand is also working with the Rocky Mountain Institute to pilot new ways of scaling Scope 3 emissions reductions, testing market-based mechanisms to help inform emissions reduction standards.
In 2025, Keen contributed $3.2 million in grants and product to over 88 partner organizations worldwide, up from just under $1 million in 2024. Top recipients include The Conservation Alliance, Protect Our Winters, and Leave No Trace. The brand also donates to organizations focused on expanding access to the outdoors, such as Outdoor Afro and Wild Diversity, as well as to direct relief for natural disasters.
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