The keyword is "unique"!
"UNIQUE UNEEK" #UNIQUEUNEEK #UNEEK10 #UNEEK #KEEN
Since its founding in 2003, KEEN has defined the outdoors as "anywhere without a ceiling" and promoted the reduction of the global environmental impact under its philosophy of CONSCIOUSLY CREATED – Makers that are kind to the earth and people. Under this philosophy, KEEN Japan LLC (headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), which operates the outdoor footwear brand KEEN from Portland, Oregon, USA, which proposes innovative hybrid footwear, will be holding a pop-up event, UNIQUE UNEEK, from April 19th (Fri) to 21st (Sun), 2024, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the open-air sneakers made of two cords and a single sole.
UNEEK is an open-air sneaker that combines the comfort of a sandal with the feel of a sneaker, launched in 2014. With its unique design, an upper structure that fits any foot shape and movement, a three-dimensional footbed that matches the shape of the sole of the foot, and a sole with excellent cushioning, UNEEK has been extremely popular from the sneaker scene to the fashion scene since its release.
The UNEEK Collection, which uses sustainable manufacturing methods using recycled PET, will be available in a total of 11 styles for the Spring/Summer 2024 season, including three new models.
The keyword for the pop-up event "UNIQUE na UNEEK," which is themed around the UNEEK collection that offers a wide variety of items, is, of course, "unique."
At the center of the venue, there will be a tree object with the archives of the past 10 years growing like fruit. Nine unique artists will create art pieces based on UNEEK, which, as its name suggests, has a unique look. Unique art pieces such as upcycled UNEEK, upcycled cardboard and waste materials will be exhibited. And the 10th artist, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the product's birth, will be you, the visitor. A participatory art space will be set up at the venue. There will also be a bottle holder workshop based on two cords, and a "UNIQUE UNEEK Cafe" that will serve drinks and donuts made with organic and other environmentally friendly ingredients.
*The food and drink provided at "UNIQUE UNEEK Cafe" uses environmentally friendly ingredients, and after the event, as much as possible will not be disposed of, but will be reused as resources or returned to the soil.
*A portion of the proceeds from the "UNIQUE UNEEK Cafe" and workshops will be donated to KEEN EFFECT partners, KEEN's environmental protection and social contribution activity.
(Image) A tree object that grows like fruit from archives of the past 10 years
The work by YUJI NAKATA, a stylist and creative director who works across borders to direct visual production from still photography, video and store presentation, and mobu, who opened "SuperZoo" in Hatagaya, an exhibition and sale store for toys, miscellaneous goods and fixtures, mainly craft items, and who produces highly original props and spatial design to suit various spaces such as stores, is a masterpiece that elevates UNEEK to a life-sized work of art.
At "100Sneakers100NewMakers2024" organized by the creative community "NewMake Labo," creators called NewMakers will each put their own ideas into creating upcycled works using UNEEK sample shoes. A total of 10 works will be on display.
Participating Creators
YUJI NAKATA / mobu
https://www.instagram.com/yujililynakata/
https://www.instagram.com/mobu_superzoo_ktkd/
NewMake Labo https://www.instagram.com/newmakelabo/
Bruce Osborn Bruce https://www.instagram.com/bruceosbornphoto/
Tomotatsu Gimahttps ://www.instagram.com/tomotatsu_gima/
Shingo Nagasakahttps ://magogallery.online/
Yuta Niwahttps ://www.instagram.com/yuta_niwa/? hl=ja
HI-DUTCH https://www.instagram.com/hi_dutch/
Ueno Starhttps ://www.instagram.com/ueno1010/
YUIHALF https://www.instagram.com/yuihalf/
*In no particular order
UNEEK Developer: Rory Fuerst Jr.
Rory Fuerst Jr. is the eldest son of KEEN founder Rory Fuerst. Having grown up with his father in the shoe industry, Rory Jr. was familiar with footwear manufacturing from an early age, and naturally ended up in the shoe industry. Rory Jr. inherited the ideas of founder Rory Fuerst, who was very creative and greedy for new ideas, and later became the driving force behind the development of the product that represents his career, "UNEEK". In 2006, he was appointed to a position involved in the design and development of footwear and its commercialization. Calling himself a "rebel," he began to think up ideas for a new footwear with a completely different structure from conventional footwear, and after about three and a half years of trial and error, in 2014, the unique open-air sneaker "UNEEK" was born, which is laced with two cords and one sole, as its name suggests.
"UNIQUE na UNEEK" (Unique Unique)
Date and time: Friday, April 19, 2024, 11:00-16:00
April 20th (Sat) and 21st (Sun) 11:00-20:00
*Opening hours will be different on the first day.
Location: THE ICEBERG
Address: 1F, 6-12-18 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Access: 3 minutes walk from Meiji-Jingumae Station (Exit 7) on the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line and Fukutoshin Line
6 minutes walk from JR Yamanote Line Harajuku Station (Omotesando ticket gate)
8 minutes walk from Shibuya Station on JR lines
ABOUT KEEN
KEEN is an outdoor footwear brand based in Portland, Oregon, USA, with social contribution as the cornerstone of its business. Since its founding in 2003, KEEN has defined outdoor as "anywhere without a ceiling" and has proposed innovative multifunctional hybrid footwear that combines different concepts such as sandals and shoes, land and water, mountains and cities, comfort and functionality, fashion and practicality. Its innovative and versatile products are manufactured under the CONSCIOUSLY CREATED philosophy, which promotes the reduction of environmental impact by eliminating harmful substances such as PFAS and adopting recycled materials. In addition, the company is committed to promoting its efforts in environmental protection, child support, disaster relief, gender equality, etc., calling them the "KEEN EFFECT."
[CONSCIOUSLY CREATED – Creations that are kind to the earth and people]
We promote circular and sustainable manufacturing by proactively identifying and removing harmful chemicals from our supply chain and replacing them with safe and effective alternatives, and by using a lot of recycled and upcycled materials. We continue to strive every day to go beyond the highest environmental standards, such as eliminating fluorinated chemicals (PFAS) from our water-repellent processing, using probiotics for chemical-free deodorizing treatment on the footbed, using Leather Working Group (LWG) certified leather for environmentally friendly leather tanning, and using recycled PET to create products with reduced environmental impact.
[KEEN EFFECT]
Born for the outdoors, KEEN believes it has a responsibility to protect the places where we live, play and work.
Since our founding in 2003, we have been committed to environmental protection, disaster relief, gender equality, and climate justice with a strong desire to "change the world in a positive way, even if only a little." That is the KEEN EFFECT, which is based on the themes of CONSCIOUSLY CREATED, PROTECTING THE PLANET, and PROMOTING TOGETHERNESS. We may not be perfect. But we believe that we have the power to create a better future.
◆KEEN Official Online Store: https://www.keenfootwear.jp/
◆KEEN Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keen_japan/
◆KEEN Official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keen_japan
◆KEEN Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KEENJapan/
◆KEEN Official X (formerly Twitter): https://twitter.com/KEEN_Japan
◆KEEN Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/KEENJapan
