KEEN's First Walking Shoes Are Born: The Technology Equipped as 'Gear for Walking'

KEEN, an outdoor footwear brand from Portland, Oregon, has released walking shoes, the "WK400," which make walking more efficient and enjoyable. Focused on "walking," the shoes were designed and developed over three years, with more than 8,000 kilometers of field testing.

What is KEEN.CURVE technology, which makes the walking motion smooth and efficiently synchronized? And how are shoes made for walking different from running shoes or town-use sneakers?
 
WK400 was developed by Rory Fuerst Jr., son of KEEN's founder and the creator of one of the brand's iconic products, the "UNEEK." Inspired by his own experience of feeling better through walking during rehabilitation from a severe ski accident, Rory started making shoes with the desire to make walking more enjoyable and to help others experience its positive effects.

Focusing on the 400mm Radius Arc That Feet Describe While Walking

"It wasn't about creating something new or entering the booming walking or running market. It started from my own experience of being saved by walking, and from there we explored what kind of shoes could make walking comfortable and efficient," says Atsushi Nakagomi, KEEN Japan's merchandiser.