Oboz Footwear, owned by KMD Brands, has appointed Colin True as senior director of wholesale and David Karstad as senior director of brand and marketing. The two industry execs were the founders of The Rock Fight, an outdoor industry podcast that ran from 2022 to early 2026.
Colin True also operated the consultancy True ABA while hosting The Rock Fight. Previously, industry roles included director of sales and marketing, North America, at Polartec from March 2013 to October 2017; national sales manager at GU Energy Labs, from September 2012 to March 2013; and national sales manager, outdoor and sporting goods, at Probar from December 2010 to September 2012.
True also previously held retail management roles at Eastern Mountain Sports, City Sports, and Play It Again Sports.
David Karstad, producer of The Rock Fight podcast, is a co-founder of the brand consultancy Frank Creative and a former VP of Marketing and Global Creative Director at Polartec. He brings over 20 years of brand-building experience across the outdoor, athletic, and action-sports industries. Brands include Adidas, Vans, Teva, And1, Spyder, Royal Robbins, and Timberland.
“One of the challenges facing outdoor brands today is that we often spend too much time talking to ourselves and not enough time engaging new audiences,” said Oboz President Amy Beck. “Colin and David have built careers translating brand stories into ideas people care about. Their ability to bridge industry expertise with broader cultural relevance will help Oboz reach more people while staying true to what makes the brand unique.”
Images courtesy Oboz
