Hartford Sales Group Appoints New Rep for NorCal Coast
Mark Blesius joined the award-winning agency, covering the Northern California Coast. Blesius was, most recently, the senior regional account manager covering the Southwest region for Asics America.
EXEC: Brands Act Fast on PFAS Changes as EPA Proposes New National Rules
California-based Liberated said this week it deployed an initial assessment of its Spyder products resulting in a multiple-season plan to phase out PFAS from its branded skiwear, joining other brands making the hard choice in 2024.
Inov8 Drops Nex-Gen Trail Running Shoes
“The new shoes are neither over-engineered nor under-engineered, in the strong belief that nature knows best. We let your foot control the shoe, not the shoe control the foot.” —Inov8 Founder Wayne Edy
VF Corp. Aligns with Activist Investor, Appoints New Indie Board Member
VF will appoint another independent director to the Board in the near term, mutually agreed with Engaged Capital and will prioritize considering the candidates identified by Engaged Capital.
Shoe Carnival Acquires Rogan Shoes; Pre-Announces FY Results on Solid Holiday Gains
The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to the company’s fiscal 2024 earnings and generate approximately $84 million in sales and approximately $10 million in operating income, excluding transaction and integration costs.
O’Neill Opening Brand Store in Honolulu with Hawaiian Island Creations
The flagship store, on Kalākaua Avenue in Honolulu, HI, joins eleven other Hawaiian Island Creations store locations on Oahu and more across Maui and the Big Island.
Nordstrom, Inc. to Add Another Rack Store in New Jersey
The 26,000-square-foot store will be located in Manalapan Commons, a shopping center that includes Best Buy, Panera Bread, Five Below, PetSmart, and Raymour & Flanigan.
Sam Edelman Inks New Licensee Deals Across Four Categories
New licensing partners include HB Connections (handbags), Esquire Brands (kids’ shoes), Gina Group (hosiery), and My Step Global (slippers).
Nike Mourns the Loss of Ambassador Athlete Kelvin Kiptum
Kelvin Kiptum, who shattered the Chicago Marathon course record in only his third marathon in October 2023, tragically died Sunday in a car accident. Nike wrote on their website that Kiptum was “an inspiration to countless athletes and fans around the world.”
Puma Hoops and Lamelo Ball Accelerate the Game with Porsche Collab
In collaboration with Porsche, Puma Hoops and LaMelo Ball will release the Puma x Porsche Collection on February 17 fusing basketball with auto excellence.
EXEC: Brooks Running Exceeds $1.2 Billion in Sales in 2023
Brooks DTC e-commerce channels reportedly grew 24 percent in global revenue YoY, including record-breaking sales from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, up 22 percent in North America versus 2022. China DTC jumped 194 percent for the year.
Decathlon Sells 82 European Stores in €527 Million Sale and Leaseback Deal
Realty Income Corporation has entered into a sale-leaseback transaction for 82 retail properties leased to affiliates of Decathlon SE. The portfolio includes properties located in Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and Portugal.
Famous Footwear Appoints SVP and GMM for Adult Athletic, Kids and Canada
Andrew Leckie has held various leadership roles in North America with Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker. Leckie’s most recent role was vice president, general merchandise manager of Champs Sports.
Chris Walsh, Former Reebok and Crocs Sales Executive Passes Away
Chris Walsh has passed away at the young age of 61. Chris was the VP of National Accounts at Reebok for many years after running the footwear business in the Reebok Southeast region.
Deckers Brands Taps into Nike Running Leadership for New Hoka President
Robin Green has an extensive track record of leading and operating complex global businesses while delivering transformative results and brand growth, most recently as global VP of men’s running and fitness for Nike, Inc.
