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At the heart of Java lies Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), a design philosophy that uses 'objects' - data structures consisting of fields and methods - to model the real world. OOP allows developers to organize software as a collection of objects that can be controlled and manipulated within a system.

This concept hinges on several key principles, including encapsulation, inheritance, and polymorphism. Encapsulation helps in bundling the data with the code that operates on it, thus encapsulating the behavior of the object. Inheritance, another pillar of OOP, permits a new class to take on the properties of an existing class. Polymorphism gives way to the manifestation of a single interface to entities of different types.

Understanding OOP is essential to mastering how the 'new' keyword operates in Java, as it combines these principles in the creation and manipulation of objects.

In the realm of Java, memory allocation is a critical process that involves designating portions of memory to objects. When an object is created using the 'new' keyword, Java allocates memory for it from a location known as the heap. This space is specifically reserved for object storage, and its management is handled by Java's automatic garbage collection, freeing developers from manual memory management.

This allocation process serves two purposes: ensuring that each object has its unique space in memory, and that the memory footprint is optimized to allow as many objects as needed, while maintaining the efficiency of the application. It is the sophisticated memory allocation strategy that enables Java programs to run smoothly across different environments.

Converging on Java constructors, these are special methods used to create new objects. They have the same name as the class and do not return a type, not even void. Whenever the 'new' keyword is invoked, the constructor is called, and it initializes the new object.

Using Constructors

In Java, constructors can vary based on the number and type of parameters they accept. A class may have multiple constructors, each serving a different purpose. For instance, a 'Person' class may have a constructor that only requires a name, while another might demand both name and age. Constructors enable the instantiation of objects with desired states — something crucial for OOP.

Essentially, constructors set the stage for objects to come into being, populated with data and ready to play their intended role within the codebase.