Karhu has hired Kevin Pearson as national sales manager of its Originals collection. Pearson's initial responsibility will be the development of the new Karhu Originals line that reprises iconic Karhu models worn by the famous Flying Finns of the 20th century.
Most recently, Pearson successfully fulfilled a similar role at Adidas where he earned the Superstar Sales Award in 2008. From 2000 to 2007, he held sales positions at Swedish lifestyle brand WE sC where he was responsible for midwest sales and marketing.
Pearson arrives just as Karhu completes its month long Originals Tour 12 that retraced the route of the Flying Finns invasion from Boston to New York City to Philadelphia. The Tour's central character – an Airstream trailer almost identical to the one the Karhu team traveled in when the Flying Finns dominated world running – featured a historic exhibit and preview of the Karhu Originals line.
“This is a great opportunity to be part of a very important moment at Karhu,” Pearson states. “Karhu's running shoes have a rightful place in world running history and a devoted following that is looking for a way to express their pride in the brand.”
The Originals Tour '12 set the stage with dealers and retailers up and down the East Coast. Pearson will build on the momentum by launching two vintage silhouettes, the Trampas and Albatross, at the uber-fashionable Bread and Butter style Expo in Berlin; July 4 – 6. The Trampas trainer, introduced in the late 1960's, is often referred to as the 'first running shoe' and became a favorite of collegiate runners in the 1970's. The Albatross is a clean Air Cushion' model from the 1980's. Both were selected for reproduction by a panel of boutique retailers.
“Karhu Originals were a big hit with our customers during the Originals Tour '12,” says Huub Valkenburg, president and CEO of Karhu. “With Kevin on board, we have the expertise and professional firepower to launch a successful holiday initiative at select boutiques and pursue an aggressive, national effort for Spring.”
