KEEN and Gramicci bring it back to the archive with the Newport Retro

2024 was a wonderful year for KEEN, a brand born in Portland in 2003 for lovers of the outdoors. After the success of the Jasper, a model that fully entered the international streetstyle scene, the brand decided to return to its roots. More precisely, to those of hemp. In a new collaboration with Californian brand Gramicci, which signed a reissue of the Jasper Zionic last fall, KEEN unveils the Newport Retro. They are made from hemp, a sustainable material that the brand had used for this model years before. «The Newport sandal is our icon, it’s the centre of where it all started,» KEEN Marketing Manager Jeroen Meijer tells us. «And the partnership with Gramicci felt very natural, we both share deep roots in outdoor culture and a strong understanding of what that lifestyle involves.» Now that the outdoor lifestyle has reached urban streets, the two brands have decided to seize the opportunity to collaborate and promote a new project centered on sustainability, a value that has always been part of their DNA.

The Newport was launched over twenty years ago by KEEN and quickly became one of the world’s best-selling adventure sandals. The greatest quality of the Newport Retro lies in its hybrid nature, as it is part water sandal and part trekking shoe. Its construction—from the toe protection to the sturdy sole—also contributed to making the Newport an it-shoe in the outdoor activity world, where durability is key. «We look to the archive to bring back something timeless,» adds Meijer, emphasizing how the use of hemp aligns perfectly with the environmental goals of both brands. «We chose it because it’s one of the most sustainable fibres on the planet, offering durability in a really natural way.» This is the third time KEEN has explored the material for the Newport, which first debuted with a hemp upper in 2008 and was then reissued in 2018 for its fifteenth anniversary. This time, the Newport has been revisited with the help of Gramicci, which contributed its own history and aesthetic tied to 1990s California. The Newport Retro features the same zigzag mountain-style stitching from Gramicci, as well as a hemp strap (a material Gramicci also used for their climbing pants), a non-slip sole for wet surfaces, and the iconic round rubber toe cap for impact protection. One aspect that made the KEEN-Gramicci partnership feel truly authentic, says Meijer, is the ongoing mutual support between the two brands. «While they’ve been using our products in their lookbook, we do the same with their apparel,» he says, adding that one of the best things about both companies is that they share the same community.

During our conversation with Meijer, we took the opportunity to ask the Marketing Manager how KEEN is approaching the new year. With a fruitful 2024 behind them, the brand’s current focus is to further unite lifestyle and performance. «We are building on the success of our icons,» says Meijer. «The Newport is one of them, but even the Jasper and the Uneek are big players in the fields of functional outdoor and global streetwear.« As the collaboration with Gramicci confirms, another key focus for KEEN in 2025 will be collaborations and the launch of new products, including a new trail running shoe that will mark a whole new chapter for the brand. Of course, adds the Marketing Manager, sustainability will remain a priority for KEEN this year too, a core value for the entire company team. «We’re still a family-owned business, so sustainability is still the most important value and commitment to the brand and owners. We now have a really clear approach on our mission, so we are really working on circularity.» In short, KEEN has plenty of work ahead this year. Fortunately, the collaboration with a like-minded brand such as Gramicci allowed the two to have fun, taking a dive into the Retro aesthetic of both brands.

Discover the new Newport Retro at this link

KEEN is a brand distributed in Italy by NaturalLook