Fila Selects New Footwear VP

NEW YORK – Sportswear and shoe company Fila has named Gary Wakely its new vice president of footwear. Wakley has 36 years of experience in the footwear field; he comes to Fila from Prince Sports Inc. and has served in senior posts at Lotto and Adidas, among other athletic sportswear companies.

The company said in a statement that Wakely will be heading a group that oversees product management, development, and sourcing. He will work from Fila’s New York office.

Fila was founded in Italy in 1911. Today it’s a truly international brand with its one-time Korean sourcing agent Gene Yoon serving as the CEO and global head.

As the company notes in its releases, “Fila has strong equity in traditional country club sports including tennis, golf and ski”; it also enjoys popularity among 18-34-year-old urban culture aficionados. Fila’s most memorable athletic endorsement deal was in the 1970’s with tennis player Bjorn Borg.