Our love for KEEN’s Jasper Zionic has been pretty well documented, I mean we did an activation event for the launch of them just the other month (you can read about that here).
The reason for our fanaticism about the Jasper Zionic is how its creation was spawned by the meshing of two different types of shoe – the Jasper & the Zionic. On paper, it shouldn’t work, but on foot, it absolutely does.
Well, as it turns out, the KEEN team have been scheming about hybrid footwear once again, and this time it comes in the form of a winter sandal.
The creation of this winter sandal follows the formula set out by the Jasper Zionic, and the two silhouettes that have been put forth for the amalgamation are the Howser and the Hyperport.
For a bit of context on both of those…
The Howser is KEEN’s original low-profile slipper that caters to all the challenges the inside of your house could bring, and most of the ones a light walk around a slightly muddy trail could.
The Hyperport on the other hand functions as a lightweight and breathable water shoe, that could also withstand the trials and tribulations of that very same slightly muddy trail.
But KEEN wasn’t entirely satisfied with the outdoor limitations of both models, and in a quest to create the ultimate outdoor winter sandal, began fusing the best elements of each of them together to produce a new sandal – the Hypowser.
The chunky sole of the Hyperport has been meshed with the plush upper of the Howser – a beefy strap closure system has then been added to provide ultimate ease of access. The result of KEEN’s innovative genius is a sandal that is just as wearable for around the house as it is for a jaunt up the side of a hill.
The inspiration (besides the two original pieces of footwear) comes from the Japanese concept of a ‘2-mile shoe,’ a cultural postulation that everyone should own a pair of shoes specifically for short, typically around two mile, trips from their homes.
As you’d expect from the Portland-based players, the Hypowser is created without forever chemicals, is PFAS- and antimicrobial-free, and the quilted upper is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
It’s safe to say that we’re a big fan of these, and the only caveat is that they’re not yet available in men’s sizes, but as the Jasper Zionic is currently only available in men’s sizes, we’ll let KEEN off the hook.
To purchase a pair of the Hypowser’s, you can do so from here.
