Zoot Sports – the performance apparel, ‘wetzoots’, footwear and accessories specialist – has named Erik Vervloet as its Vice President and General Manager.
Vervloet, who has worked as Vice President of Sports Marketing for K-Swiss and most recently as Chief Marketing Officer for, Ironman brand owner, World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), brings a decade of leadership experience and marketing expertise to the Zoot Sports team.
“Zoot is an incredibly important part of the K2 Sports portfolio and our overall growth objectives,” said Anthony De Rocco, President and CEO, (Zoot owner) K2 Sports. “As we invest further in Zoot it is imperative to have the best leadership in place, and Erik is just that. He brings enthusiasm and a breadth of experience in the sports market and understands our vision on where the Zoot brand needs to go.”
Vervloet is well respected in the triathlon and endurance sports communities both through the successful launch of the running category at K-Swiss and also for his work with Ironman brand owner WTC. In his recent position at World Triathlon Corporation as CMO, Vervloet was responsible for driving global sales through management of all public facing initiatives including merchandising, branding, social media, national media relations and production, licensing and sponsorship.
Zoot Sports, distributed across 22 countries, is ‘known for the introduction of the first triathlon-specific footwear line.’ The brand itself was founded in Kona and has a rich triathlon heritage, with a following amongst triathletes globally as a go-to race day partner.
With Vervloet on-board, the brand will work to expand its reach beyond race day to support runners, cyclists and swimmers 365 days a year, for training, fitness, racing and recovery.
“I’ve admired the Zoot brand for a long time,” said Vervloet. “So many brands search for authenticity, but with a company like Zoot it’s already inherently there.”
Zoot continues to innovate, bringing new technology and offerings to market, expanding its reach to support a broader range of athletes. In the last year, the company introduced the Boa closure system in the Zoot footwear line, made new advancements in compression technology and unveiled the Zoot custom apparel program.
“Triathlon has always driven innovation, I’m excited to take that momentum beyond race day to support athletes across the globe in their everyday training needs,” Vervloet added.
Vervloet is a former professional tennis player, avid athlete and a two-time Ironman finisher.
