Keep Company is privately held and is identified in industry databases as a small Los Angeles-based apparel and footwear business.3

Founding

Keep was launched in summer 2006 in Los Angeles. According to the company, the founders sought to create classic, clean shoes without the bulk and unnecessary complexity associated with other footwear brands.4

Contemporary coverage from 2006 identifies Margot Jacobs and Una Kim as the founders. Early Keep was closely connected to Los Angeles’ independent design, music, art and retail culture, with initial products including silhouettes such as the Benten, Duke and Ramos.5

The brand emerged at the intersection of independent fashion, sneaker culture, veganism, contemporary craft, Los Angeles creative culture, and music and art. Rather than competing directly with major athletic-shoe corporations, Keep developed a boutique, lifestyle-oriented identity.

Keep’s philosophy extends beyond the concept of “vegan shoes”. The company describes itself as simultaneously a shoe company, apparel maker, creator of objects, curator and broader lifestyle concept, with a stated goal of keeping things personal, detailed, simple and pure.6

This approach translated into footwear characterised by relatively simple silhouettes, minimal branding, casual or unisex styling, unusual textiles, distinctive colours and patterns, and an understated aesthetic rather than aggressive technical performance. Keep aimed to present ethical footwear as desirable fashion, rather than treating veganism as the sole visual identifier of the product.

Veganism is a defining characteristic of Keep. The company states that its products are vegan and cruelty-free, avoiding animal-derived materials, and has described its footwear factories as being audited by international third-party organisations for working conditions.6 The brand also emphasises the use of natural, organic and sustainably grown materials where possible.7

Keep’s philosophy combines animal welfare, environmental consciousness and ethical manufacturing. However, the company acknowledges that “vegan” does not automatically equate to zero environmental impact, as synthetic footwear can involve petroleum-derived materials. Keep’s significance lies in its attempt to combine animal-free materials with responsible sourcing and design, rather than claiming that every product has no environmental footprint.

Keep has historically distinguished itself through textiles and craft techniques uncommon in mainstream sneaker production. The company has highlighted the use of handwoven ikat, traditional Japanese indigo, hand-pieced quilt patchwork, herringbone textiles and materials sourced from artisans in Guatemala, Japan and North America.8

This material selection informs the brand’s aesthetic, which frequently combines simple Western shoe silhouettes with globally influenced textile traditions, giving the shoes a handmade, art-school or independent-fashion character.

Historically, Keep’s footwear portfolio included several recognisable silhouettes.

Benten

The Benten was one of the brand’s early signature designs, described in contemporary coverage as a fashion-oriented interpretation of the classic boat shoe with a moulded rubber sole and canvas construction.9 It became central to Keep’s early sneaker and streetwear identity and later appeared in collaborations.

Homer

The Homer became another recognisable Keep silhouette and remains in the modern product range, including black versions.30

Guerra

The Guerra represented another element of Keep’s footwear vocabulary, including high-top styling. A notable example was the Tegan and Sara collaboration, which utilised the Guerra silhouette.10

Shaheen

The Shaheen is significant to Keep’s contemporary evolution. The current version is a work-oriented shoe designed for demanding environments such as professional kitchens, featuring synthetic nubuck, water- and oil-resistant construction, arch and heel support, and a non-slip sole.11

The modern product line thus reflects a split between fashion and lifestyle footwear and practical work footwear.

A notable development in Keep’s current business is its emphasis on work footwear. The company markets work shoes specifically to chefs and professional crews, designed around practical requirements including slip resistance, water resistance, oil resistance, support, comfort and durability. Keep states that its work shoes have been tested by real chefs and crews.8

The Gourmand collaboration exemplifies this direction. Keep worked with chef Alvin Cailan on a kitchen shoe combining the brand’s minimalist aesthetic with professional-kitchen requirements, using synthetic nubuck, water- and oil-resistance, additional arch and heel support, and a non-slip outsole.7 This represents a significant evolution from the original boutique-fashion-shoe concept.

Although Keep began primarily as a footwear company, apparel has become integral to its identity. The current collection includes T-shirts, sweatshirts, hand-dyed garments, ice-dyed garments, crystal-dyed garments, Arashi-dyed pieces and custom printed merchandise.12

Some products are dyed to order in Keep’s Los Angeles studio, generally in small batches.13 This approach reinforces the brand’s independent and craft orientation, emphasising small-scale production and individual variation over standardised mass-market clothing.

Collaborations have played a meaningful role in Keep’s cultural identity, extending beyond traditional fashion partnerships to include figures and organisations from music, food, art and independent retail.

Tegan and Sara

In 2014, Canadian musicians Tegan and Sara collaborated with Keep on two shoes: a Tegan Keep Plimsoll Homer and a Sara Keep Hi Top Guerra. The shoes featured customised materials and graphics and were produced in limited quantities. The collaboration supported the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Teen Activist Project.4

Patta

Keep collaborated with Amsterdam sneaker and streetwear retailer Patta on a special edition Benten. The release combined Keep’s boat-shoe-inspired silhouette with Patta’s distinctive colour and branding approach and was distributed through selected international sneaker retailers.9

Music culture

Keep’s broader collaboration history includes musicians and culturally influential names such as Animal Collective, Bon Iver and Dinosaur Jr., according to an interview with co-founder Una Kim.14 This reinforces Keep’s historical positioning as an independent culture brand rather than a conventional footwear corporation.

Keep’s philosophy is summarised by three concepts: consciousness, community and craft.15

Consciousness

The company uses “CONSCIOUSNESS. COMMUNITY. CRAFT.” to describe its approach, encompassing veganism, ethical production, material selection, environmental awareness and conscious consumption.15

Community

Keep has historically positioned itself within creative communities rather than treating customers solely as consumers. Collaborations with musicians, artists, chefs and independent retailers reinforce this orientation.

Craft

Craft is the most visually evident element, with the use of unusual textiles, hand-dyeing, artisanal techniques, limited runs and custom graphics differentiating Keep from mass-produced footwear.

The name KEEP is intended as an incantation, reminder, invocation and call to battle. The company connects the word with the things people choose to retain and the persistence required to continue making and doing things.16

There is also an emotional dimension: Keep argues that what ultimately lasts is not necessarily the physical shoe or shirt, but the memories and experiences associated with wearing them, including travel, adventures and personal milestones.16 The name thus embodies a philosophy of keeping things that acquire personal meaning.

Keep’s aesthetic can be described as minimalist, playful, handmade, alternative and utilitarian. It generally avoids the aggressive performance aesthetic associated with major sneaker brands, instead emphasising clean shapes, restrained logos, interesting fabrics, unexpected colours, graphic details, vintage references and handmade-looking finishes. This makes the brand particularly recognisable to those interested in independent fashion, vegan fashion and alternative sneaker culture.

Keep occupies a distinct position relative to brands such as Nike, adidas or Converse.

Keep’s appeal is less about technological performance and more about identity, materials, ethics and design.

Keep emerged during a period when vegan fashion was still relatively niche. In the mid-2000s, consumers seeking vegan shoes had far fewer fashionable options than today. Keep helped demonstrate that vegan footwear could be presented as a design product rather than merely an ethical substitute.

Its collaborations connected vegan footwear to indie music, sneaker culture, contemporary art, independent retail, streetwear and creative communities. An interview with Una Kim in 2013 specifically highlighted Keep’s combination of vegan and cruelty-free production, distinctive textiles and collaborations with musicians and retailers.17

Keep’s current business differs from its early-2000s sneaker identity. The website presents the company as “Independent since 2006 · Made in LA · Vegan” and emphasises work shoes, hand-dyed apparel and custom merchandise.18 The product lineup includes models such as the Shaheen and Homer, alongside dyed T-shirts and sweatshirts.19

The brand also operates a custom merchandising and screen-printing business, offering tour merchandise, tie-dyes and custom printed products for bands, companies and groups.20 Contemporary Keep is best understood as a small independent lifestyle and manufacturing brand with roots in vegan footwear, rather than solely a sneaker label.

Keep has evolved from a boutique retail and footwear operation into a direct-to-consumer and small-batch business. Its website sells directly to consumers and combines several revenue streams:

1. Footwear
2. Work shoes
3. Apparel
4. Hand-dyed products
5. Custom merchandise
6. Uniform and work-shoe programmes
7. Collaborative products

The company describes its dyed garments as produced in small batches in Los Angeles, while its work-shoe programme offers customisation for organisations.21

• Strong point of view: Keep maintains a clear vegan, independent and craft-oriented identity.
• Early mover in vegan fashion: Established in 2006, when stylish vegan footwear was considerably less mainstream.22
• Distinctive design language: The combination of simple silhouettes and unusual textiles creates a recognisable aesthetic.
• Authentic independent positioning: Los Angeles roots, small-batch production and creative collaborations reinforce its independent character.
• Ability to evolve: Expansion into professional work shoes demonstrates application of its design philosophy to functional footwear.

Keep’s independent scale presents limitations compared to Nike, adidas, Vans or Converse, including lower visibility, smaller distribution, fewer physical retail locations, less marketing power, a smaller product ecosystem and less technological R&D.

There is also potential tension between vegan materials and sustainability, as synthetic materials may address animal-welfare concerns without eliminating environmental impacts. Additionally, the brand’s current positioning is broader than its original identity; new audiences may encounter work shoes, hand-dyed apparel and custom merchandise, whereas the historical reputation is strongly tied to distinctive vegan sneakers.

• 2005: Trademark records indicate first use of the KEEP mark in commerce around this period.23
• 2006: Keep Company launches in Los Angeles; early products include the Benten, Duke and Ramos.24
• Late 2000s: Keep develops a reputation in independent sneaker and fashion circles and begins collaborations with international retailers such as Patta.25
• Early 2010s: The brand becomes increasingly associated with vegan footwear, unusual textiles, ethical production and musician collaborations.25
• 2014: Collaboration with Tegan and Sara on two limited-edition shoes supporting a youth civil-liberties initiative.26
• 2020s: Focus expands beyond traditional lifestyle sneakers into work footwear, hand-dyed apparel and custom merchandise.27
• 2026: Continues operating as an independent, vegan, Los Angeles-based company, with footwear and apparel available through its official online store.28

Keep Company is a niche but historically significant American footwear and lifestyle brand. Its importance lies not in scale but in bringing together ideas that were relatively unusual in mainstream footwear in the mid-2000s: vegan materials, fashion design, independent culture, craftsmanship and ethical production.

The brand subsequently evolved rather than disappearing with the first wave of vegan-fashion enthusiasm. Its contemporary emphasis on professional work shoes, hand-dyed clothing and custom production gives it a more utilitarian and craft-oriented direction than its original sneaker-focused identity.29 Keep sneakers from the 2006–2015 period represent artefacts of the early vegan and independent sneaker movement, predating the expansion of vegan footwear into a larger fashion category.

1. About Us – Keep Company
2. Keep Company | LinkedIn
3. Vegan Work Shoes & Hand-Dyed Apparel | Keep Company
4. Keep Shoe Collaboration! – Tegan and Sara
5. Keep Company – COOL HUNTING®
6. Hello! – Keep Company
7. THE SHAHEEN Gourmand | Vegan Shoes | Work Shoe – Keep Company
8. Keep x Gourmand – Keep Company
9. Patta x Keep Benten – SneakerNews.com
10. KEEP – Keep Company, LLC Trademark Registration
11. ข้อมูล บริษัท คีพ ออฟฟิเชียล 1969 จำกัด
12. Canadian Trademarks Details: KEEP LOGO — 1314283 — Canadian Trademarks Database – Intellectual property and copyright – Canadian Intellectual Property Office – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
13. About Us – KEEP Boutique
14. Shop By Brand – KEEP Boutique
15. Keep – Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding
16. KEEP FRED | LinkedIn
17. Keep Company | LinkedIn
18. ‏Keep Company‏ | LinkedIn
19. KEEPOUT Official Web Site
20. Our Story – &Keep
21. KEEPSTYLE — contemporary clothing brand — Chic design — Free delivery
22. About us
23. KEEPS | About Us
24. Our Story – The Keep
25. Keep Company: Revenue, Products & eCommerce Insights | Brand Profile
26. Kept | Full-Service Branded Merchandise Company
27. Keep x Superfruit – Keep Company
28. THE SHAHEEN Gourmand | Vegan Shoes | Work Shoe – Keep Company
29. THE SHAHEEN Oxblood | Vegan Shoes – Keep Company
30. THE HOMER Black | Vegan Shoes | Work Shoe – Keep Company