ABEO biomechanical footwear, the comfort footwear brand, appointed Mephisto President and CEO Rusty Hall as president of the ABEO wholesale division, and former Dansko EVP of Sales and Marketing David Murphy as chairman of the ABEO advisory committee. Both positions are effective immediately.

“After a successful tenure at leading comfort brands including Mephisto and SoftWalk, I am thrilled to join ABEO footwear at such a pivotal time,” said Hall. “The comfort segment of the footwear industry is where you want to be, and I look forward to contributing to the global success of ABEO, ‘the future of footwear.’”

Hall brings over 40 years of experience in the footwear industry, with executive level sales and marketing positions with several key comfort brands including Easy Spirit and Daniel Green. Hall became president and CEO of SoftWalk and the Phoenix Footwear Group for over 13 years, and later in the same capacity at Mephisto, a premium Euro-comfort brand. Hall offers extensive knowledge of wholesale brand management, retailer relations, sales and marketing strategies.

Additionally, David Murphy, former board member and executive VP of sales and marketing at Dansko, has come on board as the chairman of the ABEO advisory committee.

“Within the past 10 years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with ABEO footwear CEO Andrew Feshbach and COO Mike Grenley in some capacity and have seen the brand grow from infancy to establish itself as an important player in the comfort footwear market,” said Murphy. “I look forward to contributing to this dynamic brand and its future success.”

A well-respected industry veteran with over 35 years of experience, Murphy was the executive VP of sales and marketing and board director at Dansko, where he served as an integral member of the leadership team guiding sales and marketing activities. Prior to Dansko, Murphy was in key executive roles as president at Sperry Topsider, COO of Sebago, and vice president of sales at Lowell shoes.

“We are excited to welcome two individuals of this caliber to ABEO footwear, and look forward to their contributions in driving sales goals and strategies as we continue to expand globally,” said Mike Grenley, COO at ABEO footwear. “Their combined abilities, extensive industry knowledge and proven track record will play a key role in accelerating growth and profitability for the brand.”