When Canadian active company Lolë Brands acquired Sanuk from Deckers in August 2024, chief executive officer Todd Steele maintained that there was potential to expand Sanuk’s consumer base as well as its core product assortment. “The chance to see Sanuk be an innovator in that area is exciting to all of us,” the CEO said at the time.
And with renewed investment in the brand, Sanuk has worked toward that goal under the stewardship of Katie Pruitt, the brand’s vice president and general manager. Pruitt, who also served as Sanuk’s brand manager while it was owned by Deckers, got to work quickly to determine what the future of the surf shoe label would look like moving forward.
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“We have come quite a long way in the 18 months we’ve been a part of Lolë,” Pruitt told FN in a new interview. “Being privately-owned for the first time in more than a decade has really allowed us to operate with greater autonomy, speed and intention. And there’s just fresh energy and a renewed sense of focus, which has reshaped our approach to product distribution and overall growth.”
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One of the first items on Pruitt’s list was setting up a new office in Manhattan Beach, Calif.; it opened three months after the acquisition closed in October 2024. “We’ve been able to invest in some really strong talent and have a full team here now, which is exciting,” the executive said.
One of these fresh hires is a new head of brand marketing, Eladio Correa, an industry veteran who has worked at Sole Technology, Vans and Herschel Supply Company. He joined in January, with more key hires planned throughout 2026 at the Manhattan Beach headquarters.
Another top priority for Pruitt was revitalizing the brand’s product assortment. “We launched the Yoga Mat II and refreshed other heritage styles with upgraded materials and improved fit,” she said. “We also launched a handful of trend-forward styles and introduced Bubblecush, our beaded foam footbed sandal that has emerged as a hero product.”
And the Bubblecush model is gaining some traction among consumers. The executive noted that the company is “responding to the overwhelming demand” for its Bubblecush flip-flop, which has seen multiple sellouts. The style was reordered five times with 200 percent growth since it was introduced in 2025.
Bubblecush has also played a central role in expanding the brand’s audience and driving growth among a new generation of Gen Z consumers, the exec added.
“We are seeing meaningful traction with a younger Gen Z audience, and we believe that it comes down to storytelling on our social channels,” Pruitt maintained. “We are focusing on TikTok and also the Meta platforms where we are seeing success with this audience. We basically want to be sure we are showing up where people shop, and we think that’s the best way to get new eyes on the brand.”
At the same time, the brand is actively working to refine its distribution strategy to focus on strong wholesale partnerships, deepening relationships with existing retailers, reconnecting with longtime supporters and reasserting its position in the surf and outdoor market.
“We had lost a lot of our specialty accounts and major accounts both during and before the acquisition,” Pruitt admitted. “So, we are really making an effort know to meet with these stores and to be strategic around their channels. It’s important for us to listen and also to be really good partners. We have made a huge effort to personally engage with accounts that we’re working with and that we want to grow with, and it’s made a huge difference.”