Altra has hired Kylee Barton, a nearly 20-year veteran of Nike, as its new global head of product.
Barton will serve on the executive leadership team and report directly to Altra brand president Jennifer McLaren. She will assume the role at the VF Corp.-owned running brand effective Aug. 1.
Her last role at Nike, according to LinkedIn, was global senior product director of Nike by You customization and Nike Design Exploration. Prior to that, she held several other roles at Nike, mostly in running, including global footwear senior product director of running.
“Barton’s strengths in product design and innovation, as well as elevated team leadership, make her an impeccable addition to our executive leadership team,” McLaren said in a statement. “With her vision for our future product direction, we can’t help but feel the groundswell of excitement for what’s to come: an amplification of the Altra point of differentiation, and a continued commitment to elevated performance innovation for our consumers.”
In a statement, Altra said Barton “excels at balancing performance and aesthetic, with a proven track record of accelerating revenue through her strategic direction and execution.” The brand also stated she is “passionate about consumer feedback, solving problems for athletes and creating team environments where calculated risks are rewarded and people have a chance to grow and develop.”
“I am thrilled to be joining the incredible team at Altra who is so authentically committed to serving runners and the running community,” Barton said in a statement. “The company was founded on the principles of innovation and solving problems for athletes, which rings true to my core values. I look forward to building on Altra’s momentum, and continuing to create products that ignites passion for runners.”
The new hire comes as Altra continues to make headlines in the red-hit running market. For instance, specialty run retailer Fleet Feet confirmed Altra was one of its top 10 best-selling brands from April 2023 to April 2024. Also, after making a name for itself by offering shoes with a zero drop, meaning there’s no difference in the height between the heel and forefoot, Altra revealed its first-ever road shoe with a 4 mm drop, the AltraFwd Experience, in September 2023.
Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.
