Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon-based shoe business KEEN, opened its first storefront Friday in Portland's Pearl District.

Up to now, KEEN has relied on other retailers to get its shoes to market.

Company vice president Russ Hopcus says that remains the plan. But the company wanted its own store so it could gather information for research and development.

Russ Hopcus: "It's located at the base of our headquarters. It gives us the opportunity to literally call people down if we need the product team to come down and talk to a customer or in fact bring a customer up to the product team."

Keen moved from California to Portland in 2006, citing the city's plethora of shoe experts. It employs about 85 people locally and will add another four in the new store. 

The company says that over the next week it will donate a backpack full of school supplies for each pair of shoes sold in the new store.