SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Two women joined forces to open a shoe store with the goal of selling five shoes a day. That was in 1976, a time when there were few female entrepreneurs.
Sally Edwards and Elizabeth Jansen were schoolteachers when they became friends and opened their first-running shoe store, Fleet Feet, in Sacramento, California. The pair managed to buy $20,000 worth of shoes at the start. A risk that would prove to pay off in profits and additional stores, according to the company.
Fleet Feet now has over 275 stores in the United States, including one in East Syracuse. What makes this female-operated company more than a shoe store? It offers free running groups throughout Syracuse.
Fleet Feet Sports’ running groups compete in runs throughout the year. Running groups include the Team Believing charity run, Lake Effect Run Club that meets in Liverpool, Kitty Hoynes Run Club that meets at the local brewery in Downtown Syracuse and six others.
“We see so many people go from doing nothing to completing their first 5K, 10K, half and full marathon. It is very enriching,” Dawn Field, East Syracuse retail experience manager, said.
The next race you can join fleet feet in is the 5K annual remembrance walk and run for hope, on August 5th.
