FN is the ultimate destination for industry insiders and shoe lovers alike. From power players to style stars, FN draws on seventy years of history to offer a feet first look at what’s new and what’s next in shoes. The site is your first-stop for shoe news globally. Breaking the latest stories, offering expert analysis and on-trend seasonal coverage, FN is connecting readers to the topics that matter most. Led by an informed team of journalists, the site filters the way we look at footwear. With an eye for what’s next, the newsroom sets the tone feet first.
Michael Atmore
Chief Brand Officer, Fairchild Media; Editorial Director, Footwear News
Michael Atmore is the Chief Brand Officer of Fairchild Media, driving content and branding across all Fairchild properties, including WWD, Footwear News, Beauty, Inc., Sourcing Journal, and Fairchild Live. He also oversees both FN and Footwearnews.com, which offer extensive coverage of footwear-industry trends, fashion designers, business executives and retailers, as well as reports and reviews of the major runway shows. Under his direction, FN hosts two industry events: the annual FN Achievement Awards, and the FN CEO Summit, a biennial executive conference that draws a diverse cross-section of top-level executives and industry professionals.
Prior to joining Fairchild in 1997, Michael was founding Editorial Director and Publisher of Footwear Plus. He has an extensive background in retail, having served as Editorial Director for a group of retail-based publications at International Thomson. He has also held top editorial positions at U.S. Business Press and Harcourt Brace.
Katie Abel
Executive Editor
Executive editor Katie Abel oversees content, directs daily operations and manages the staff. She also heads up FN's annual Women in Power Issues and related events, and writes cover stories on the biggest names in fashion and footwear.
Shannon Adducci
Fashion Director
Shannon Adducci oversees fashion coverage for FN. She cultivates relationship with designers, oversees fashion shoots and travels to major fashion weeks globally. She previously held roles at Billboard and Departures in fashion and style.
Jennie Bell
Features Editor
Prior to joining FN, Bell served in editorial positions for a range of New York media companies, including Louise Blouin Media, VNU and AOL. She is a proud graduate of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., and remains a Southerner in her heart of hearts.
Sheena Butler-Young
Deputy Editor
Sheena Butler-Young is the deputy editor at FN. In addition to breaking some of the industry’s biggest business stories — including the Payless bankruptcy — she interviews top fashion executives, designers and celebrities, including Katy Perry, Christian Louboutin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Steve Madden, Isaac Mizrahi and Kevin Plank
Charlie Carballo
Digital Director
Madeleine Crenshaw
Editorial Assistant
Madeleine Crenshaw is the editorial assistant at FN. She assists the editorial director Michael Atmore and staff. Additionally, she contributes to FootwearNews.com, covering trending topics in fashion and footwear. She is a proud alumnus of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY and the Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at the New School. Before joining FN, she interned at Gothamist and Topic Magazine, covering stories throughout New York City and beyond.
Nikara Johns
Women's Editor
Nikara Johns is the women’s editor for FN, working with top designers, brands and celebrities within the market. In addition to contributing to print and digital, she leads event coverage for FN’s SPY vertical, handling red carpet events with on-camera reporting, from the Met Gala to the CFDA Awards. Before joining FN, Johns was a reporter at Variety in Los Angeles.
Samantha McDonald
Digital Editor
Samantha McDonald is the digital news editor at FN, covering the fashion industry from a business lens. Her beats include financial news, mergers and acquisitions, legal developments, executive moves and the retail trade. Prior to joining FN, she served as the news editor at The Zoe Report. She has a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and studied journalism at the University of North Texas. Her home is in Dallas, and she lived in Manila for a decade.
Claudia Miller
Assistant Digital Editor
Claudia Miller serves as a jack of all trades for the FN team, tapping into everything from trending stories to assisting with e-commerce initiatives. She previously served as a freelance writer and intern for FN after working for The Zoe Report. She has a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and in French from the University of Georgia.
Samantha Peters
Senior Shopping & Fashion Editor
Sam Peters is FN's senior shopping and fashion editor. In addition to covering the hottest deals and trends to buy online, she helps oversee best practices for the site’s shopping vertical. During her career, she has worked at lifestyle publications including Real Simple, PopSugar and Bridal Guide. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University.
Peter Verry
Senior Athletic & Outdoor Editor
FN’s senior athletic and outdoor editor Peter Verry has immersed himself in the footwear industry’s largest and most influential markets for more than five years. Since March 2015, he has covered the companies, executives, celebrities and products that have defined the categories. Prior to FN, he held editor roles for community online newspaper Patch and contributed features to leading lifestyle publications.