In our other life we are sustainability consultants and constantly reviewing products for our clients that offer reduced impacts on the environment we live, work and play in. Every week we now aim to share what we’ve learnt and why we choose the outdoor kit we use for our book writing and research journeys. It’s not all perfect, but we believe these products and the people behind the brand are on a great journey to minimise the impacts they have. This is not aimed to be a performance review – here we just focus on sustainability. We are not paid by any of these companies, this is just our view as we have grown tired of the greenwash.

Keen UNEEK Sandal

Why we use it

Lightweight and easy to carry with us in a drybag; dries quickly; protects foot on more rugged surfaces like stony beaches and slippy slipways; great grip on the board; built to last – ours are 3 years + and still going strong

What’s good

98%+ PFAS free PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they never break down, they are in most rivers that discharge sewerage and industrial effluent in the UK, and they accumulate in our bodies and in wildlife causing harm
Anti-microbial free Keeping biocides and pesticides used to prevent foot odour out of the environment
Phthalate free A chemical used to soften plastic and that are absorbed by our body and can disrupt hormones, and has been linked to ADHD and behavioural changes
Recycled PET The lacing system is made of recycled material to re-use waste plastic which avoids using petrochemicals to make plastic from scratch
The business Keen are on a mission to make a positive difference to planet and people

What could be better

It’s not easy to find information on the material used for the rest of the shoe!