Premium outdoor footwear brand Hanwag announces the appointment of Steve Von  Ruden as North American sales director. In his new role, Von Ruden will oversee the Hanwag sales representative  structure and will seek new opportunities to grow sales for the German boot company in the outdoor, comfort and casual lifestyle channels.


Based in Portland, OR, he will report directly to John Walbrecht, CEO of Hanwags parent company Fenix Outdoor North America. As a veteran in the footwear industry with 30 years of experience in retail buying, management and sales, Von Ruden will lend his expertise to expand Hanwags retail footprint in North America.

There are two reasons why I decided to join the team at Hanwag, the emphasis on old world craftsmanship and the people, said Von Ruden, I have worked with John [Walbrecht] and Erron Sorrenson [vice president of Brunton and Primus under Fenix Outdoor North America] for a long time and I trust and value their commitment to the brands they work with.


Most recently, Von Ruden served as a senior sales executive at Li & Fung USA managing the Mountrek Footwear account. Prior to this role, he spent four years as a Strategic Account Manager at Keen Footwear, where he led expansive sales growth and increased margins with leading retailers, including Nordstrom and Dillards department stores. Von Ruden brings additional experience from his previous appointments as the vice president of sales at Tsubo, the vice president of sales at Diesel Footwear and as the national sales manager at Dr. Martens USA. Von Ruden began his career as a womens footwear buyer at Track n Trail and Nordstrom.


Steve has a valued reputation and strong connections in the footwear market, said John Walbrecht, CEO of Fenix Outdoor North America, I have had the pleasure of working with Steve for several years and his experience increasing sales for leading footwear brands makes him an important asset as we introduce Hanwag to the North American market.