The Frankfurt shoe label EKN Footwear specializes in high-quality shoe fashion with a minimal ecological footprint.

The production takes place in a small factory in Portugal, under fair working conditions.

EKN sources raw materials locally whenever possible and tries to recycle all waste at the manufacturing facility.

In order to maintain the quality of the shoes and to conserve resources, only small quantities are produced.

In addition to shoes made of chrome-free tanned leather, vegan sneakers are also offered.

What makes the Larch model special?

Aylin Guler

Editor for Social Media.

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The Larch was first launched in 2019 and is one of EKN's most successful silhouettes.

The model consists of a vegan material mix.

The upper is made of recycled synthetic leather and neoprene, the lining is made of recycled neoprene and mesh.

The EVA sole is made from recycled materials and recycled chloroprene rubber.

The chunky sole completes the look.

Who is behind EKN?

Noel Klein-Reesink from Münster went to New York to skateboard after graduating from high school.

He worked in an organic café in Brooklyn and became increasingly concerned with the topic of sustainability.

Back in Germany, he studied communication sciences and worked part-time as a student trainee at New Balance.

After working for Adidas and Hessnatur, the father of three founded EKN in 2015.

The goal: to combine urban street style with ecological and social standards.

"I've always wanted to do something with lifestyle and at the same time something that makes the world a better place," says Klein-Reesink.

Where does the name come from?

“Ekn” [i'kin] means “seed” or “seed” in an ancient Ottoman language.

This is also how the basic idea of ​​the brand can be understood: planting good ideas – in the hope that something lasting will grow from them.

What makes EKN different from other brands?

Michael Schmitz, Senior Sales Manager at EKN, says: "We don't want to compete against the big sneaker brands.

Our goal is to offer a clear, sustainable alternative.” Design plays a major role here.

“Ultimately, this will allow us to convince consumers,” says Klein-Reesink.

“We have everything from sandals to boats.” To this end, EKN works with various design studios in Europe.