Landed Footwear: Time to Explore

If you asked Bryce Anderson and Doug Hintze about their early days at Landed Footwear, they’d say, “You’re looking at it!” Both sneakerheads and outdoor enthusiasts, these Utah natives created a fashion-forward, environmentally conscious sneaker company after realizing they needed a shoe that could be worn from town to trail and for every activity in between.

Landed Footwear was designed with the outdoors in mind. As an ode to the classic sneaker look we all know and love, these shoes satisfy the casual style that most active outdoorsy people aim for while also delivering performance and comfort. “Growing up in Utah and spending time in the Pacific Northwest, these environments have definitely influenced the design of these shoes,” Anderson says.

While Hintze was attending Utah State University for a degree in design, he began working at Walking Comfort, a local shoe retailer owned by Anderson. Their love for shoes kept them in contact even after Hintze moved away to continue his schooling. “Doug [Hintze] called me one day with the idea of Landed after watching people slide around in their Vans and Converse while hiking. Those shoes just weren’t made for the outdoors,” Anderson says. As hikers, trail runners and mountain bikers, Hintze and Anderson have noticed more people accessing the outdoors since the pandemic — many of whom are doing so in their everyday clothes.

“Together, we melded functionality and comfort into Landed Footwear”

It took nearly two years of prototyping and sampling to produce the first models of Landed shoes. For Hintze, high performance was the most crucial aspect of designing an everyday outdoor shoe. With a proprietary outsole designed for extra traction and grip and a mini polymer plate to increase rigidity, these shoes have the stability one needs to tackle any activity. For Anderson, comfort was his primary focus — during his product research for Landed, he noticed that many of the popular sneakers on the market lack support and comfort. The insoles were designed with dense foam footbeds to absorb impact and provide support. “Together, we melded functionality and comfort into Landed Footwear,” Anderson says.

They didn’t stop there. Landed Footwear is also striving to be an environmentally friendly, sustainable company. With materials made to last, as well as materials derived from recycled products and leftover scraps from other shoe companies, Landed does its best to reduce environmental impact. “We’re always working with our manufacturing partners to find the next best materials and continue improving,” Hintze says. These shoes were created to last but also break down when their life has ended. With EcoPure’s patented additive, the shoe’s rubber soles are designed to biodegrade just a few years after entering a landfill.

Anderson and Hintze continue to improve the design of Landed Footwear’s shoes based on customer feedback. “It’s rewarding to get great feedback, and it’s also rewarding to get bad feedback and then work to improve the product to make it something people love even more,” Anderson says.

“Walking a few steps in someone else’s shoes — that’s what the world needs more of. Being inclusive and open to connection — that’s what we want this shoe to represent”

While Landed Footwear’s shoes were designed for everyday wear, Hintze shares, “It’s been interesting to see different niche groups, groups we hadn’t anticipated, become interested in Landed.” Onewheelers and disc golfers are among the surprise groups to fall in love with Landed’s unique design. The company is currently working on a hightop model after receiving feedback from some of the professional Onewheelers they sponsor.

Anderson and Hintze hope their shoes can open people up to the rest of the world, serving as a platform for connection. “Our tagline is ‘Time to Explore,’ and that doesn’t just have to mean getting outdoors; it can also mean going out and exploring new areas and cultures and meeting new people. Walking a few steps in someone else’s shoes — that’s what the world needs more of. Being inclusive and open to connection — that’s what we want this shoe to represent,” Anderson says.

You can check out Landed Footwear’s products online at landedfootwear.com, on their Instagram page @landedfootwear or in-store at Walking Comfort, which has locations in Centerville and Draper.

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