It was in 1999 that Martin Keen invented the first outdoor sandal, which would become the famous Newport, the American brand's best-seller. A few years later, in 2003, he created the Keen brand in partnership with Rory Fuerst. The brand was much in the news when the Asian tsunami struck in 2004. During this tragic event, Keen chose to withdraw its entire million-dollar advertising budget and reallocate it to relief efforts. The result is the Hybrid Care program, in which the brand partners with organizations such as The Conservation Alliance, Leave no Trace and Big City Mountaineers.