Brooks Running creates vice president of footwear product strategy role

Brooks Running, the American running footwear, apparel, sports bras, and accessories brand, has appointed former New Balance and Sorel executive Claire Wood as vice president of footwear product strategy to accelerate its focus on performance footwear.

In a statement, Seattle-based Brooks Running said that the newly created role would see industry veteran Wood leading the brand’s footwear product line management (PLM), merchandising, and product marketing teams to strengthen the company’s innovation-led footwear engine.

The move underscores its continued investment “in shaping the future of footwear through runner-first insight, advanced product strategy, and disciplined execution”.

Woods began her career at Brooks as a field marketing representative and later as one of the brand’s first-ever footwear PLMs, helping shape the early evolution of the Brooks Ghost, now one of the best-selling performance running shoes in the world.

Between her time at Brooks, Woods spent over a decade at New Balance, advancing to global product director and strategic business manager of performance running, where she played a key leadership role in the brand’s running business. Most recently, Wood served as vice president of product creation and global footwear at Sorel, where she led design, development, and product management while driving a multiyear product and process transformation. Under her leadership, Sorel redefined its product strategy, elevated craftsmanship and premium positioning, and aligned product storytelling more tightly with go-to-market execution.

Carson Caprara, senior vice president of footwear and apparel at Brooks Running, said: “Claire brings exceptional clarity to how product strategy translates into meaningful runner experiences.

“Claire’s creative leadership and bold thinking will strengthen how we deliver cohesive, runner-focused footwear at scale, while continuing to support Brooks’ innovation-forward approach to performance footwear. I’m so thrilled she’s returning to Brooks.”

Hiring Wood comes at a time of continued global momentum for Brooks, which recently closed 2025 with record-breaking global revenue, achieving a 16 percent increase year-over-year and extending its track record to nine consecutive years of growth.

“Brooks has always held a place in my heart,” added Wood. “This brand has an unmatched focus on the runner and I’m ecstatic to work with such a deeply committed team to connect creativity and craft that runners can feel from the first step.”