AND THE BRAND PLAYS ON

IT WAS SUDDEN. It was shocking. The passing of Samuel Hubbard founder Bruce Katz in June of last year, following a fall in his home, could have spelled the end of the premium comfort brand. Katz, for all intents and purposes, was Samuel Hubbard, the company he founded in 2014 and which marked his triumphant reentry into the footwear industry decades after he cofounded The Rockport Company with his father. Katz, a thirdgeneration shoemaker, was an industry legend. He was a visionary entrepreneur, a category creator (fitness walking), a marketing maverick, and, perhaps above all, a product genius whose resume includes Rockport’s iconic RocSport and Pro Walker styles.

Katz possessed boundless enthusiasm for launching companies from the soles up, including The Well, an online community, and The Republic of Tea, makers and sellers of more than 350 varieties, during his 25-year shoe industry hiatus. He innovated, broke industry norms, inspired thousands, sailed around the world, and succeeded enormously. Few would have been surprised if the company had packed it in with his passing.

Not so fast. Katz had a knack for attracting people with a similar entrepreneurial spirit. They are dreamers, passionate about the company and filled with can-do spirit. They don’t cower in the face of adversity. Katz encouraged them to get involved in all aspects of the business, if so inclined. As a result, many are as experienced as they are talented. Above all, they have deep ownership stakes in Samuel Hubbard, just like Katz did. They weren’t willing to pack it in. Nor would Katz have wanted them to.

Take CEO Noah Wheeler, for example. The exec joined Samuel Hubbard in early 2016 as Controller. The previous year, Wheeler had been working for an accounting firm in San Francisco and was assigned to help Katz manage his personal finances. The shoe guru took a liking to Wheeler, so he offered him the position and, equally enticing, the opportunity to join his fast-growing start-up.

“I didn’t know anything about shoes at the time, but the company wasn’t your average start-up [Katz was a known industry leader with solid funding], and in getting to know Bruce, I thought he was a really good person and what he was building seemed very exciting,” Wheeler says. “So I just went for it. It was an exciting opportunity to get in on the ground and grow with the company. Plus, I didn’t want to work in tech; I liked the idea of working with consumer products—something real.”

Wheeler has done just that. In early 2018, he was promoted to Vice President of Finance and then, in January of 2022, to CEO. Along the way, he got his hands in a lot of different buckets. “That’s one of the things that was so great about Bruce,” he says. “I got to learn about all the different aspects of the business, including marketing, technology, finance, and product.” It’s been a wild ride, Wheeler adds. “Early on, there was a lot of fast growth, because Bruce knew exactly what he wanted to do and wasn’t hindered by financing,” he says. “We invested millions in marketing to get our brand out there, which included print advertising and catalogs, digital advertising, building up our marketing team, and multi-channel distribution. To be a part of all that has been really fun.”

Wheeler’s extensive experience helped prepare him for the enormous shock that was to come, as did the fact that he already had six months under his belt as CEO. Nonetheless, Katz was still very involved in the company, especially on the design and product sides, so when he passed, the company faced a crisis. “Initially, the biggest challenge was all of us grieving the loss of Bruce. We’re a small company, and he was just so near and dear to all of us, and his presence was huge,” Wheeler says. “Our next biggest challenge was to fill in the gaps of what he was doing in design and development.”

Fortunately, the industry came through with numerous offers to help Samuel Hubbard in its hour of need. During the brand’s first post-pandemic show last August in Atlanta, Wheeler was touched by the outpouring of support. “We had so many retailers and brand execs come to offer their condolences and support,” he says. “They were excited to see us. I felt like everybody was—and still is—rooting for us.” That includes direct competitors, which may seem surprising, but not to Wheeler. “The one thing I’ve learned about the shoe business is it’s pretty small, relatively. So there’s this overall attitude that we’re all in this together.”

One person in particular has been a lifeline for Samuel Hubbard: Bob Infantino, a close friend of Katz and former CEO of Clarks Companies, N.A. and, more recently, headed The Rockport Company. Infantino, who had consulted on women’s product for Samuel Hubbard in 2018, immediately reached out to Wheeler. This led to a series of conversations during which Infantino offered advice. A few weeks later, he joined the company as a strategic advisor, focusing on product development. Then, early this year, Infantino helped bring in former Clarks colleagues Steve Mahoney, as senior vice president of sales, and Sally Murphy to head design. “I’m just so grateful to have Bob on board,” Wheeler says. “His product experience coupled with Steve’s focus on rebuilding our retail channels and Sally designing our fall line, which includes our new women’s launch, have been huge. But none of this would have happened without Bob first coming forward to offer his help to get us through this difficult period.” Wheeler is confident the new team will lead Samuel Hubbard to much greater heights. “With our product and sales teams now in place, I’m surrounded by all-stars,” he says. The team has come out swinging. Wheeler reports that Samuel Hubbard is up, year-over-year, in both its wholesale and DTC channels. “We’re persevering and, honestly, we’re stronger than ever,” he says. One of the biggest avenues of growth, he says, is the reestablishment of wholesale relationships as well as opening some new accounts. “Now our eyes are on fall. We’re offering more new styles for this season than we’ve had before and women’s, in particular, presents a huge opportunity for us. Overall, we’re really optimistic heading into the second half of this year.”

To be up for the year in spite of a challenging environment for the entire industry is impressive. To be up for the year just after losing the heart and soul of the company takes this story to another level. Still, Wheeler isn’t surprised by the company’s ability to absorb the blow and move forward. Rather, he feels a huge sense of accomplishment in the face of extreme and sudden challenges. It gives him confidence about the company’s future. “Every day, every quarter, and every year are going to be challenging,” he says. “Trying to build a brand is never a sure thing, so this accomplishment is just more motivation that we can survive going into another season.”

What are the biggest growth opportunities for Samuel Hubbard going forward?

First off, we’re going to stick to our roots of offering the most comfortable, premium footwear for men and women. That said, the biggest opportunity for