Shop Stepney Workers Club an East London brand that specializes in vulcanized sneakers. SWC oozes versatility and casual cool, which is personified by three main sneaker styles: the slip-on Lister, low-top Dellow, and high-top Varden. Constructed using a combination of traditional and bygone methods, the Dellow sneaker features a deconstructed upper, a premium cushioned flexible sole and a concealed siped tread for improved grip.

In the late 1970s, statistics showed that nearly 80 per cent of the Swedish population suffered from back pain at some point in their lives. Perhaps the most alarming aspect of this news was that back problems were starting to appear at an ever-younger age. Shoulder bags were popular with children at that time, but experts felt that the risk of back pain could be reduced if the weight of schoolbooks was distributed across both shoulders.

“What if we could build the most efficient hiking boot on the market? That was our call,” says Will Schuh, KEEN global product line manager, performance. “As shoemakers, we’re always looking for ways to improve comfort and performance, but this was much bigger. By increasing flexibility and reducing energy, we wanted to see if we could change how people hike.”