Broomfield, CO (October 18, 2022) – Xero Shoes, a leading provider of natural movement footwear, welcomes John Wadley as the VP of Product Development. He comes to Xero Shoes from VF Corp.’s Altra brand, where he was Director of Product Innovation and Sustainability.
Wadley will lead Xero Shoes’ product development staff, liaising with Product Design, Product Management and Operational counterparts to continue innovating the brand’s growing line of barefoot-inspired footwear. He brings extensive knowledge and experience in performance running, trail running, and hiking shoe construction, which will build on Xero Shoes’ mission of providing life-changing footwear based on “foot first” designs.
“Xero Shoes is growing at an impressive rate, and I’m excited to inject fresh, innovative ideas and solutions to capture new and retain existing customers who love natural movement,” says Wadley. “The brand has so much potential and I’m looking forward to using my expertise in product development and innovation to elevate their classic and new footwear styles.”
Prior to Xero Shoes, Wadley played an instrumental role in fueling Altra’s hyper growth over the past 10 years, in roles as Senior Footwear Developer, and during the brand’s new ownership under VF Corp. as Director of Product Development, and most recently his aforementioned role as Director of Product.
“We’re excited to welcome John to Xero Shoes where he will be a great addition to the Product Creation team,” says Dennis Driscoll, Chief Product Officer. “He brings a ‘can do’ spirit and has experience successfully navigating the type of rapid growth Xero Shoes has been experiencing.”
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About Xero Shoes
Founded in 2009, Xero Shoes manufactures comfortable, lightweight, performance and casual footwear built with a “foot-first design”. The company’s mission is to help people experience the comfort and benefits of barefoot-inspired footwear that lets them move naturally and “Live Life Feet First”. Co-founder and CEO, Steven Sashen, started Xero Shoes after discovering that running barefoot solved years of running injuries, but that being actually barefoot wasn’t ideal in many situations. Xero Shoes launched in December 2009, in the EU in November 2021. The brand features a complete line of casual and performance shoes, boots, and sandals that customers ages 2-92 in 97 countries wear for almost any imaginable occasion and activity. Sashen, along with co-founder and President, Lena Phoenix, appeared on ABC’s hit reality-business show, Shark Tank, where they turned down a $400,000 offer from Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary.
