The longtime Davidson couple just got tired of driving all the way to South Charlotte to find it. They figured thousands of other members of Lake Norman area's booming running community felt the same way. So, in January of 2010 — with the nation in the grip of recession — the Harrises took an idea and ran with it.
They opened Fleet Feet Sports, a running specialty store in Huntersville's Birkdale Village. Two years later, the Harrises say sales have exceeded their expectations.
"We couldn't be happier," says Kristin Harris.
Like most running stores, the Carborro-based chain of Fleet Feet franchises specializes in the custom fit of running shoes. Unlike many of those same stores, though, Fleet Feet doesn't employ video, computers or other gadgetry to get the job done.
"Our approach is very hands-on, very personal," Harris explains. "We can see everything their technology can see just by observing, and customers appreciate that we're focusing all of our attention directly on them, rather than on a video or computer screen. That's not to say using technology doesn't work. We just prefer to do it another way."
The Fleet Feet "fit" process can catch unsuspecting customers off guard when they're asked to begin by removing not just their shoes, but also their socks.
"Measuring, observing, even feeling their bare feet is key to the process," Harris explains. "In a unique way, it also draws us closer to our customers. How many times do you have a stranger touch your bare feet?"
During the fitting, Fleet Feet associates look for any instability in the foot, particularly over-pronation, or when the arch flattens, making the foot roll in as it transfers from heel to toe during a stride. Certain shoes are made to correct such lateral motion when a runner is trying to move forward, helping to increase performance and prevent injuries.
The Fleet Feet process also matches shoes to the shape of customers' feet, and to their unique running styles. And those customers who are surprised at having to bare their feet are also just as taken aback when they're asked to complete another step in the fit process.
"We always ask that, before they pick a shoe, they wear them outside and run in them," Harris says. "That helps us confirm that we're putting them in the right shoe, and helps them confirm that they're picking the shoe that feels best to them."
And when that fit is perfect?
"There's nothing better than having a person put on the 'right' running shoe for the first time," says Harris. "It's like they've never worn shoes before."
But while the store's name implies that it caters to the speediest of runners, that's not necessarily the case. For the past two years, Harris has been a case study in grassroots marketing, introducing herself — and Fleet Feet's fit philosophy — to podiatrists, physical therapists, athletic trainers, or anyone who could benefit from wearing the "right" shoes, whether they plan to run in them or not.
"I think our employees will tell you that the most meaningful customer experiences often involve people who have never run before," she says.
Harris recalls an elderly female who came in the store with a walker. The shoes she eventually chose — like many top-of-the-line models — were anything from subtle when it came to the color scheme and design.
"She looked down at the shoes and said, 'I never would have guessed I'd be wearing these,'" Harris says. "But what happened next was the best part. She started walking around the store (still with the walker), and didn't stop. She just kept making loop after loop, because the shoes felt so good on her feet. That's why we're here."
