Former Deckers CEO Dave Powers joins Stoke Shoes as advisor and investor

US footwear brand Stoke Shoes, focused on everyday comfort and fit, has appointed Dave Powers, former president and chief executive officer of footwear company Deckers Brands, as an advisor and investor.

Powers brings over four decades of experience building and scaling global footwear and retail businesses. He spent nearly 13 years at Deckers Brands, serving as president and CEO from 2016 to 2024. During his tenure, Powers led Deckers through substantial growth, including transforming Hoka from a niche running brand into a billion-dollar-plus global entity. Under his leadership, Deckers reported record fiscal 2024 revenue of 4.29 billion dollars while creating over 10 billion dollars in shareholder value.

At Stoke Shoes, Powers will support a brand addressing wide-foot fit issues. According to the 2026 Volumental Foot Scan, approximately 76 percent of men in the US have wide feet, highlighting a gap between natural foot shapes and traditional footwear design.

Powers will collaborate closely with the leadership team of Stoke Shoes on brand strategy, product development, retail expansion, distribution, and long-term growth. Co-founder of Stoke Shoes, Rick Blackshaw, noted that Powers brings extensive industry knowledge, brand-building expertise, and operational scaling experience to the company. Blackshaw, along with chief marketing officer Ian Stewart, previously worked with Powers during their time at US footwear brand Converse.

Prior to his tenure at Deckers Brands, Powers served for four years as vice president of global direct-to-consumer (DTC) and licensed retail at Converse, a brand owned by sportswear giant Nike. In this role, he led international DTC expansion and served on the Nike retail leadership team. His career also includes leadership roles at US outdoor brand Timberland and a decade at US apparel retailer Gap Inc.

Powers stated that the opportunity to build a brand centered around comfort, fit, and consumer lifestyle prompted his decision to invest in and advise the company. Stoke Shoes aims to differentiate itself by designing products specifically tailored to actual foot shapes and daily consumer needs.