KEEN and Paris-Based designer Philéo Landowski continue their multi-season partnership for Fall/Winter 2026, exploring the relationship between industrial footwear and contemporary design. The new collection reworks three silhouettes exposed construction and details inspired by the people who work behind the scenes to bring art to life.
The collaboration draws on Landowski’s experience working alongside art installation crews, where functional equipment plays an essential role in building exhibitions and large-scale installations. Philéo sees an opportunity to give these tools a more considered visual identity without sacrificing their original purpose.
“The people that build the art should have beautiful tools,” says Landowski. “We wanted to see if we could make work shoes more interesting than just a common, undesigned tool—keeping the function alive, but bringing it somewhere else.”
The Evanston PHILEO Boot
Leading the collection is the Evanston PHILEO, a reimagining of KEEN’s safety-toe work boot. The design brings typically concealed construction elements, including the toe cap, heel counter and carbon-composite components, into view, making the boot’s industrial foundations part of its visual identity.
Its adaptable construction adds another layer to the design. Worn fully laced, the Evanston maintains the structure of a work boot, while folding down the upper reveals a botanical illustration printed on the reverse of the leather. The contrast between rugged utility and natural imagery captures the collection’s interest in combining different visual languages.
Reworking the Targher and Providence
The collection also revisits two other KEEN designs. The Targher PHILEO, first introduced last season, returns in hairy suede leather for Fall/Winter 2026. Its textured black finish gives the shoe a different character while maintaining the unconventional construction that defines the collaboration.
Landowski also reaches into KEEN’s archives for the Providence PHILEO clog. Reworked in roughout leather and fitted with a jute-infused outsole, the original rugged design takes on a more experimental appearance while still keeping the the outdoor-ready foundations.
All three styles share an all-black colour palette, inside-out stitching and a signature red PHILEO flag. Ethnically sourced leather comes from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group for their environmental and social practices. KEEN’s established fit provides additional room across the forefoot, while higher-traction outsoles support movement across urban and outdoor environments. The footwear also incorporates KEEN’s Eco Anti-Odor technology, which uses natural probiotics to help control odour without pesticides.
Matt Dillon and Ari Marcopoulos Front the Campaign
For the Fall/Winter 2026 campaign, PHILEO brings together photographer Ari Marcopoulos and actor and artist Matt Dillon. Known for documenting subcultures through an observational, anthropological approach, Marcopoulos captures Dillon wearing the new footwear silhouettes.
Dillon’s career spans films including Rumble Fish, The Outsiders and Drugstore Cowboy. More recently, his visual art attracted attention, with his paintings exhibited in New York, Paris and Berlin.
An installation featuring Marcopoulus’ photographs of Dillon will be presented at Dover Street Market Ginza from 23 October 2026, marking the launch of the collection.
Release Information
The KEEN x PHILEO Fall/Winter 2026 collection launches on 5 November 2026 through KEEN’s official websites, PHILEO’s online store, Dover Street Market locations and Comme des Garçons Berlin. Selected retailers will receive the collection from 10 November 2026.
