I Help Performance Footwear Brands Fix Development Problems That Delay Launches and Drive Up Costs

Footwear Development Without the Delays, Rework, and Factory Miscommunication

Let's get your issue resolved NOW
Problems I Solve

Does this sound familiar?

  • You’re on your 6th factory sample and the fit is still wrong

  • Your internal development team is already maxed out and Management wants to add more skus to next year without increasing your headcount.

  • The factory just isn’t capturing your design intent.

  • You’re losing sleep over whether the factory will deliver on time to hit your major milestone meeting.

Let me help.

22+ years working in engineering and product development

One of the earliest team members at Altra. Held several leadership roles in over 10 years at the company

Former VP of Product Development at Xero Shoes

Experience across CAD, Tooling, Sourcing, and Engineering for high performance categories

Problems I Solve

Performance / Minimalist / Technical Footwear Brands Scaling Fast

You have momentum - but one wrong move could be disastrous

  • I help to avoid common pitfalls in footwear development, fit and materials engineering

  • Last Design, Adjustments and Strategic/Effective Fit & Wear Testing

  • Factory Upgrades - because sometimes getting your product built by more experienced hands makes all the difference.

  • Help to improve Calendar, Process and communication hurdles

  • Techpacks that get your product on the right track from the beginning

Startups

Early product decisions carry real cost.

  • You have the idea but need help finding a better factory

  • You need expert eyes to help verify the concept and ensure manufacturability

  • Help reviewing molds before pulling the trigger on such a large investment

  • Weak tech packs can be expensive and increase sample iterations

Established Brands

You don’t need more ideas—you need more capacity.

  • When your team is maxed out, you can still add those exciting new styles/categories to the line plan without having to beg for more headcount.

  • I provide more bandwidth for innovation pre-season testing without interrupting the inline team.

  • Help execute that “pull forward” of the shoe style concept that the CEO asked you for. Sometimes getting something to market faster means you need a temporary expansion of the team.

Offers

Start Here: Development Audit (Tier 1)

  • 1-2 week engagement

  • Review Current product + process

  • Identify hidden risks and inefficiencies

  • Deliver Actionable Fixes

  • Easy and low cost first step

“Project” Support (Tier 2)

  • I am involved from Concept to Prototyping through Commercialization

  • Tech Pack Reviews

  • Hands-on guidance with factory + Materials

  • Full sample tear-downs and change management

  • Help work through Construction methods and manufacturability

  • Quality standards and testing protocols

Fractional Head of Development (Top Tier)

  • 3-6 Month Retainer

  • VP Level Support

  • Long Term strategic roadmapping and innovation planning

  • Guidance on Processes, last library and quality standards

  • Assistance with Factory Transfer strategy and execution

My work delivers RESULTS…Here are some examples

  • I instituted a formalized & strategic wear test process for a brand that included utilizing 3D foot scan data to provide context around fit and performance feedback. I brought in a cloud-based wear test platform to build a reliable database of brand-exclusive, sport-specific testers. The new wear test process provided invaluable insight into each season’s new launches and helped the brand avoid product failure, chargebacks and damaging brand reputation.

  • When starting to work at one particular brand, the last library was a mess. I helped get it organized by consolidating into a cohesive, capable and more manageable family of lasts that improved fit consistency and helped customers start to identify the “brand fit” more easily. This work was ESSENTIAL in scaling the brand to the next level.

  • I helped a brand identify how one aspect of their outsole tooling designs was promoting delamination between the upper and the outsole unit. After adjusting the mold and product geometry, this quality issue was virtually eliminated and customer satisfaction improved. The harmful social media comments about this ongoing issue started to disappear.

  • Oftentimes the real magic of why a shoe works well comes from the “Coca Cola recipe” of materials and their properties. I understand what materials to use and when - how thick or thin to make them, and what performance standards they need to achieve. Consulting with me on your next high performance technical project can make all the difference in outperforming your competition.

“I had the pleasure of working with John on many innovative projects including the world’s first barefoot/minimalist basketball shoe. It required us to challenge quite a few traditional footwear conventions, and John was instrumental in helping translate bold ideas into practical, technically sound solutions that stayed true to the brand’s unique product DNA. His calm, solutions-oriented approach made him a trusted partner when navigating complex product challenges.”

-Josh Pichon, Senior Footwear Designer Xero Shoes

Senior-Level Footwear Development Expertise— without hiring a full-time VP.

Have a Product in Motion?

If you’re developing a line, navigating challenges, or need experienced support for a defined season or initiative, reach out!