customizing shoes

On our recent jaunt to Atlanta, one of the things we heard about was the Mion shoes – the sole of the shoe forms to the wearer’s foot for a custom fit. Been out for a bit, but still a great example of product that is created and sold in mass but still feels personal.  Mion also has an interesting partner….

 

 

 

Martin Keen Is Back

AUGUST 05, 2005 -- Martin Keen, the founder/developer of the hugely successful Keen footwear collection, recently went back to drawing board to come up with a new collection called Miön (pronounced 'my own'). The collection, which launches at Summer OR and ships in March 2006, brings the first customized footbed to the watersports category for ultimate comfort, but also includes other features - such as 360-degree lacing system - that Keen says represents the next "evolution" in watersports footwear.

Instead of launching it on his own, Keen chose a partner, Timberland Co., which gains entry into the technical watersports category. Keen, who will receive royalties on Miön as part of a long-term consultant contract, will design and develop while Timberland handles sourcing, marketing and distribution. OB talked to Martin Keen about the launch of Miön and his return to the footwear business.

OB: So how did Miön get its start?

KEEN: I developed this idea in July of last year shortly after I left Keen and started looking for a partner. Basically, the concept is a continuing evolvement of watersports utilitarian footwear. I'm a competitive sailor and I'm looking for the best equipment for competitive sailing. It demands equipment; not fashion. It demands product that works. So with this new brand, I wanted to take advantage of some technology that has been used in other aspects of footwear, which is injection molded EVA. So I took that material and then incorporated a patented lacing system that I developed that produces a number of parts in the product and actually transfers a lot of the structure to this lacing system. The lacing system is actually a climbing-grade chord that travels all around the shoe several times and even around the back. So the lacing becomes a structural part of the product. One synch and the entire product closes around your foot. The primary target (for the product) was amphibious athletes, or people who like to experience their adventure around water.

OB: Why Timberland?

KEEN: : I didn't want to do another startup. It's a lot of energy to do a start up. So I looked for a partner that sort of had a lot of the components in place, and the partner I chose was Timberland. Timberland is going to be the sourcing arm, the marketing arm, and the distribution arm of this brand.

Why the name Mion?

KEEN: The idea of the name represents the further development of my thinking on comfort footwear. The first brand that I developed was designed for a lot of people. You can kind of get an average last shape that will conform to fit most people. But I have an individual foot, and you have an individual foot, and the question is 'How do you best accommodate the individual?' Well, we have placed an ergomorphic foam on the top layer of the footbed, and after you wear the product for between 12 to 20 hours, the footbed will actually take the impression of the bottom of your foot permanently. Therefore, you have a better contact surface with the product and thus the product you're wearing becomes a little more grounded to whatever your environment is - whether on a boat, or rafting, or hiking through the woods. You have better contact with the surface. And the product seems to be performing very well. We've been doing quit a bit of testing in extreme environments. I'm a competitive sailor in Newport, Rhode Island; and it's really demanding being on a boat. You don't want to spend too much time worrying about where you're going on a boat. You want to wach the wind, watch the water, watch your competitors, and just have confidence in the grip and support you have in your footwear.

OB: Any other key technologies behind the Miön?

KEEN: Besides the ergomorphic foam and this structuring lacing system, we've developed a rubber compound that has very high abrasion. But we're also double sniping it, which is where you actually knife cut the soul. When you flex the shoe, the rubber sort of opens up. What we've done is we've taken that same concept, but we've done is twice so when you flex the shoe, each lug actually breaks into these tiny mini-lugs. So when you're on a very wet surface, it actually creates a mechanical grip with the surface. So it's got very good, sticky grip characteristics.

OB: How many items are in the collection?

KEEN: We're launching with four items. There's a sandal, a shoe, a flip flop, and a slide. They all have this ergomorphic fit system internally, and they all have this surround lacing system.

OB: Even the slide and flip flop?

KEEN: You think of a flip flop as a non-performance product, but with this innovative lacing system and footbed system, it actually becomes more of a performance slide. We're calling the flip flop the Pro Thong, and we're calling the slide the Guide Slide.

OB: What the price points?

KEEN: The shoe will be $120; the sandal, which we're calling The Evolution, will be $100. And the flip flop and the slide will both be $80.

OB: Are you planning to move into other categories?

KEEN: We're already starting to work on Fall. Again, we'll be focusing on watersports, but we'll get getting into adventure racing, cold-water sailing, cold-weather boots, but with a angle of satisfying water-performance needs.

OB: So why did you personally decide to launch another shoe?

KEEN: I've been in the shoe business for 16 years. I'm just doing what I do. The way my mind works is just to take the current state of technology and apply that to my ideas for the evolution of footwear. So I see things continuing to progress. I don't want to put product out there that looks like everyone else. To me, that's just doing fashion design. I'm a utilitarian designer so I want to create product that enhances my own performance racing sailboats. So that's why I developed the product. It's just a further evolution of my thoughts on footwear.

OB: Why does the market need this type of footwear?

KEEN: This product has superior grip, superior fit, and it's lighter than any sandal out there. Its just evolving the better mousetrap.

OB: You'll be at OR?

KEEN: We'll be at OR. Booth 7731. We'll be launching with 28 SKUs for men, women's and kids. For kids, we're just doing the sandal. For women, we're doing the sandal, flip and slide. The shoe is only for men.

OB: Are you syched to be seeing all your friends again at OR?

KEEN: I'm very excited. I know a lot of people, and I think a lot of people have a great deal of respect for what I've done. I'm just excited to show them the evolution.

 

Sara Storck

Coffee Spoon.

 

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