Columbia Sportswear announced that Cory Long has been named president of the Sorel brand. Long is a veteran of the footwear and apparel industry, most recently serving as global general manager and chief global merchant of DC Shoes. He has also held leadership roles at Mitchell & Ness, Asics, Supra, and Converse.

Australian footwear brand Frankie4 has opened its first permanent U.S. retail store location in Bellevue, WA near Seattle. The brand previously had a pop-up store in Bellevue, WA, last spring and summer. The company, founded in 2010 by podiatrist Caroline McCulloch, also recently launched U.S. wholesale partnerships with Nordstrom and J.Jill.  

Ciele Athletics, the Montreal-based running apparel and headwear brand, has hired 15-year Nike veteran Scott Gravatt as head of sales for the U.S. and Canada. Founded in 2014 by Jeremy Bresnen and Mike Giles, Ciele is committed to being a key brand in running specialty shops across North America. “The culture of running is important to the business of running, and that culture is heavily influenced by independent running stores bringing together people, brands, music, art, sports and fashion. Ciele is a brand that speaks to all aspects of running culture,” says Gravatt.