Dan Norton has joined SpiraVice President of Footwear Development. Norton’s association with Spira dates to 2002 when he began consulting with Spira through his design company, Indever, Inc. In order to devote all his design and development energies to the Spira line of running and athletic walking shoes, Norton has relocated to the company’s headquarters in El Paso, Texas, from his former base in Pennsylvania.

Norton’s experience in the running shoe industry is lengthy and demonstrates his expertise in progressive shoe technology. Before founding his consulting company in 2000, he served as senior manager of Adidas AG’s Advanced Technology Group in Germany where he developed that company’s successful Adiprene and Adiprene Plus cushion technology. He got his start in the footwear industry with Nike, and has also worked in product development and marketing at Avia, Brooks and Asics.

Norton currently is developing additions to Spira’s current athletic walking and running shoe lines. A basketball shoe and casual men’s shoe are also in process.

Jim Jesserer has joined the company as Spira’s Vice President and General Manager of Sales. Jesserer brings to Spira more than 20 years of experience in sales in the athletic market. He has worked with Skechers USA, Timberland, Champion and JanSport.

Jesserer will be responsible for expanding Spira’s retail presence from its current 450 stores in the United States and Canada. In addition to stand-alone retail stores, Spira shoes can currently be found in national chains such as Foot Solutions and Brown’s Shoe Fit and in a limited number of Foot Locker stores.

“The addition of Dan Norton and Jim Jesserer – both veterans in the footwear industry – bodes well for Spira,” stated Andy Krafsur, CEO of Spira Footwear, Inc. “Spira’s sales in the three years since our founding have grown 500%. The addition of these two outstanding individuals assures our ability to compete in this highly competitive market.”