【Togetherness】
Differences in principles and values are a given. Therefore, if we can respect such differences, we can surely unite. Looking forward, together.
【Originality】
If everyone could live as they are and be themselves, the world would be a more interesting place. Refine your identity.
【Doing Good】
What each one of us can do is small. But if we all do what we can, we can surmount even the greatest obstacles. For the earth, for our friends, and above all, for ourselves.
In October 2022, Hilda Chan was appointed Regional Managing Director and Representative of Japan for KEEN Japan, GK, the company behind outdoor footwear brand KEEN. Her soft-spoken and endearing personality is evident upon meeting her for the first time, as she moves on to a new stage to expand the boundaries of KEEN’s possibilities. While making the tour of the “Art Para Fukagawa Oshaberina Art Festival” (“Art Para Fukagawa”) supported by KEEN, we heard why she joined KEEN and what kind of future she envisions.
With experience in marketing and management in various industries ranging from food to textiles, apparel, and shoes, her story with KEEN began when she was approached by her predecessor, Naoji Takeda.
“I was working in China when I got the tap on the shoulder. I was very honored, but couldn’t decide right away. But the more I delved into the company, the more I felt that KEEN really cared about its values.”
KEEN is dedicated not only to reducing the environmental impact of its shoe manufacturing, but also to working proactively to bring about positive change in society and the global environment. This stance inspired Hilda to assume the role of the new representative. She also said that the change in her own circumstances was also a factor in her decision.
“In 2018 I gave birth to my first child and became a mother. Since then, I have been conscious of what the world will be like in the future. As I contemplated what the world will be like 3 to 4 decades from now, when my child will be living in it, I felt a great deal of resonance with KEEN’s approach to society.”
Just as she was joining the company, it was unveiled that a campaign called “LIFE IS KEEN” would be launched in 2023 with the three principles of “Togetherness,” “Originality,” and “Doing Good” as its mottos, which immersed her in the process of further defining KEEN’s values.
What we want to convey through LIFE IS KEEN is “meaningful change” by taking a step forward.
In 2004, the year after KEEN was founded, the Sumatra earthquake struck, and the entire advertising budget of $1 million (approximately 100 million yen at that time) was allocated for disaster relief. When the typhoon hit Samar Island in 2013, the company provided 30,000 pairs of shoes to the victims, and when COVID-19 spread and led to a worldwide mask shortage, it turned its shoe manufacturing factory into a mask manufacturing factory to produce masks.
KEEN, rooted in outdoor life, has a responsibility to protect the place where we live, play, and work, in other words, our planet Earth, while having fun and enjoying the great outdoors together through hiking, music festivals, and other activities. We are a shoemakers, but we do more than just make shoes. “We work with everyone step by step to do “what we can do now,” always taking a positive step forward together with everyone.
The three mottos of LIFE IS KEEN (“Togetherness,” “Originality,” and “Doing Good,”) form the basis of KEEN’s ever-evolving initiatives.
“LIFE IS KEEN has different stories and interpretations for each person. That is why we wanted to tell the stories of a wide range of people. We hoped that by learning about people’s stories it would bring inspiration, and that it would also make individuals consciously try to take a step outside themselves. We believe that once you take that step forward, it should lead you to, for example, become more aware of your commitment to environmental protection and social issues, or to become more aware of your own talents.”
Based on these values, Hilda has been busily promoting KEEN Footwear in Japan and other Asian countries and expanding the scale of its social activities by utilizing her skills honed over the years.
“In Japan, we see our shoes being worn in a wide range of situations, from music festivals and outdoor activities to town use, and we feel that they have become a part of people’s daily lives. In the Asian region, there is still a lot of potential for KEEN to become a permanent lifestyle item, and we would like to strengthen that potential. Since more and more people are going out after the pandemic, I think there is a great opportunity to make people aware of our brand. Awareness of KEEN is spreading in Thailand, and we just opened a new store in Shanghai this December. I also hope to focus on collaborations with like-minded brands, which we are actively pursuing in Japan, in China and Southeast Asia, and to increase the number of collaborations rooted in each locality.”
This is the second time KEEN has supported “Art Para Fukagawa,” an event held with the aim of generating an art market for artists with disabilities. KEEN staff members have also volunteered to help prepare for the event.
“By participating in this event, we are trying to bring people together in the spirit of ‘togetherness’ and to embrace our differences. We also aim to get together with the local community and bring awareness of social issues that are often forgotten. And when we met the artists participating in Art Para Fukagawa, they are all truly full of talent. Disability is an individuality that can only be possessed by a person with a disability, and these people embody the “originality” that we stand for, which is to live one’s life in one’s own way. We hope that the works of these artists will be better known, and that we can create a society in which everyone can let their individuality shine through.“
She concludes by describing the road ahead with KEEN.
“This is my personal ambition, but I hope that people of all ages become ardent KEEN fans. I think it’s rare that three generations can wear the same brand of shoes, so I would like to further promote KEEN as a brand that can be worn by people of all ages and genders, and to further spread the brand in the Asian region as well.
As for the future of the brand, I hope that observing and appreciating the activities of this company will be a source of inspiration for many people, and if we can create an opportunity for each individual to take a new step forward from there, I believe that what we are doing will be fruitful.”
Hilda Chan believes that a better future awaits us all if we all do what we can do, however small, to make a difference. Taking inspiration from the principles of “Togetherness,” “Originality,” and “Doing Good,” Hilda and her KEEN team will continue to make steps forward to create positive change in the world. To usher in a brighter future, be yourself today and take one more step outside.
Hilda Chan
Born in Hong Kong and raised in Canada. Speaks Chinese, English and Japanese. After graduating from university in Canada, she has worked for major Japanese and Chinese companies in marketing and management. Most recently, she was Managing Director of ASICS Greater China, and from October 2022, was appointed Regional Managing Director and Head of Japan for KEEN Japan, GK.
