sandal released last year,
was their first bike-specific product.
Keen Footwear, who moved their headquarters to Portland in 2006 (and didn’t waste any time featuring us in their product catalog), has just announced an expanded line of cycling products.
Keen unveiled an SPD compatible sandal (the “Commuter”) in early 2007 and now plan to offer a more substantial shoe along with a bike-specific pack and socks in Spring of 2009.
According to a company press release, Keen will offer a new, closed-toe, SPD-compatible cycling shoe they’ll call the Springwater (likely after the popular rail-trail that runs along the Willamette River just south of downtown Portland).
“The cycling category is a natural fit for Keen and our customers…. the products will exceed expectations during the ride and beyond.”
–Keen’s Brad Bischel
A hydration pack named the Newport Pack will be “the perfect pack for a day on the trail.” In addition to a hydration bladder sleeve, water bottle pockets, and a mesh back, it will have a laptop sleeve and will utilize recycled rubber (for the bottom) and aluminum components.
Keen’s new Mt. Airy socks will have a “vent-release system that improves air flow and facilitates heat release”. They say it will also have an “oxidized surface” to reduce odors making it the, “perfect sock for long stints in the saddle.”
Brad Bischel, Keen’s bicycle product category manager says bike stuff is, “a natural fit for Keen and our customers…. the products will exceed expectations during the ride and beyond.”
These new products will be displayed to the bike industry at the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas this fall.