Q&A BY GREG
DUTTER
AND THE BRAND PLAYS ON N o a h W h e e l e r, C E O o f S a m u e l H u b b a r d , o n h o w t h e c o m p a n y h a s n’ t m i s s e d a b e a t s i n c e t h e s u d d e n p a s s i n g o f i t s l e g e n d a r y f o u n d e r.
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 10 footwearplusmagazine.com • august 2023
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