Fleet Feet

Fleet Feet was founded by two women in 1976. Sally Edwards and Elizabeth Jansen were two true pioneers who built the foundation for what is now a quest to become a one hundred year brand. Today, Fleet Feet has over 250 communities around the country, and counting. We're a company that prides itself on creating an amazing environment using employee, customer and community experiences.

Whether that's cheering on a first-time 5K finisher, hosting a community night with the local cross country team or finding the perfect pair of shoes for their achy feet, there's opportunity at Fleet Feet for those who believe in the privilege of serving and the power of running.

Find out more about How We Live Our Core Values at Fleet Feet .

Fleet Feet believes in the power of running and grassroots outreach to make positive and lasting change. Our business efforts are grounded in this premise in order to make good on our brand vision of inspiring the runner in everyone. Fleet Feet has the responsibility to bring our brand vision to life so that “everyone” truly means everyone, and we have created two key pillars of action and accountability to focus our efforts.  

These pillars—people and partnerships—are pivotal in transforming our current state of underrepresentation of marginalized communities across the brand into one of social and racial equity, inclusiveness and diversity.

• Pillar One: People - Create a more diverse workforce and a culture that values and reflects diverse perspectives, voices, backgrounds and beliefs.
• Pillar Two: Partnerships - Support the growth, success and vitality of Black organizations, charities, non-profits, events, athletes and content contributors in the running community through Fleet Feet’s resources, funds, platforms and industry leadership.

Our urgency, focus, and commitments start with the Black community; it won’t be where we stop. We will continue to add information, updates, and resources as we move forward in creating inclusivity and equity for all marginalized, underrepresented, and Black, indigenous, and people of color communities.

DEI Successes:

• Summer Internship Program - Fleet Feet offers a fully-paid summer internship focused on recruitment of underrepresented communities that overcomes perceived barriers of participation related to location, transportation, or awareness. Fore more details, visit https://www.fleetfeet.com/internships.
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) - An ERG is a voluntary, employee-led initiative that is formally supported by an organization. ERGs are typically organized on the basis of common identities and/or life experiences. ERGs provide a space for communities to flourish and can help bring cultural or business issues to light within an organization. Simply put, the goal of an ERG is to make the invisible needs of the minority, visible to the majority.
• Mentorship Program -  Our voluntary mentorship program is designed to focus on skills development for both the mentor and mentee and is designed for any full-time employee who has been in their position for at least 6 months. Participating in the mentorship program will be a rewarding experience for both mentees and mentors. Most importantly, it will aid in professional growth, development, and networking opportunities. 
• Employee Handbook - Our employee handbook update has been completed and sent out to all our company-owned employees. The enhancements include adding our Diversity statement, updating our Volunteer Time Off policy to include any civil protests as an acceptable use of time off, and ensuring inclusive language has been used throughout the handbook. 
• Partnerships - In 2022, through donations, sponsorships, collaborative activations and the support of our amazing running communities, we contributed more than $110,000 to our Do the Run Thing national partners. Key collaborative moments and events included Share the Run in partnership with Black Girls RUN! and Saucony; the Hispanic Heritage Month 5K in partnership with Latinos Run; and the SoleMates National Fleet Feet Team in partnership with Girls on the Run. Fleet Feet vendor partners Balega, CEP Compression, Feetures, Nuun and Superfeet also donated prizes to our SoleMates National Team. Additionally, our store teams across the US worked to give back and empower their local running communities and philanthropic organizations. Fleet Feet stores donated more than $222,000, 2,055 pairs of footwear, 700 coats and 500 pounds of food to local organizations.  Find out more by visiting our Do The Run Thing page, https://www.fleetfeet.com/do-the-run-thing.

FIND YOUR BEST FIT At Fleet Feet, we do what we love among people who love what they do. Whether that’s high-fiving a first-time 5K finisher, brainstorming campaign ideas with colleagues on the office patio, or finding the perfect pair of shoes for achy feet, there’s opportunity at Fleet Feet for those who believe in the privilege of serving and the power of running.

Fleet Feet's internship program is focused on recruitment of underserved communities that overcomes perceived barriers of participation related to location, transportation, or awareness. Our 9-week rotational summer internship will provide professional development, mentorship, networking, skills development, and on-the-job training in two different departments or areas of the intern's choosing. Applications for our summer internship program are available beginning in the Fall of each year on our Careers Page

Local communities are at the heart of Fleet Feet and everything we work to achieve. Whether it’s hosting group runs, fundraising for local charities and organizations, or forming national partnerships, Fleet Feet believes we make the world better by building and supporting strong running communities. We continue to build on the good work that happens at our 250 locally owned and operated locations every day, through our charitable arm, Do the Run Thing. The mission of Do the Run Thing is to create and nurture sustainable running communities that improve the health and happiness of the overall community. Our key areas of focus are: Youth-based initiatives that inspire the next generation to stay active Under-served communities in need of mentorship, programming and support Community partners and events that align with our mission through action, initiative and fundraising Public works projects that create and improve access to safe greenways, pathways and trails LEARN MORE AND JOIN US We invite you to join us as we continue to further our mission to strengthen more running communities, empower more people, and spread even more health, happiness and kindness wherever our running shoes might take us. Learn more about our Do the Run Thing partners, their accomplishments and goals, and how you can get involved and give back. GIRLS ON THE RUN Girls on the Run (GOTR) inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running. Girls on the Run reaches girls at a critical stage, strengthening their confidence at a time when society begins to tell them they can’t. Underscoring the important connection between physical and emotional health, the program addresses the whole girl when she needs it the most. Evidence shows Girls on the Run makes a stronger impact than both organized sports and physical education in teaching life skills that benefit girls at home, at school and with their friends. Girls on the Run is dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. Fleet Feet is proud to partner with Girls on the Run and support their efforts to grow program reach and accessibility, including continued support of the Girls on the Run council network. BLACK GIRLS RUN! Since 2009, Black Girls RUN! (BGR!) has encouraged Black women to make fitness and healthy living a priority. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 80 percent of Black women are overweight. BGR! focuses on programming, resources and community built around running with the goal of lowering that percentage. Get involved with Black Girls RUN! by joining a chapter near you, or consider a donation to the Black Girls RUN! Foundation so they can continue to provide programming to more communities. CIVIL RIGHTS RACE SERIES The Civil Rights Race Series is the first of its kind to develop races along the U.S. Civil Rights Trail honoring and highlighting major cities and historic events that took place during the civil rights movement. Race organizers create events that commemorate pivotal Civil Rights moments and places through education, wellness and economic development. Open to cyclists, walkers and runners, the race series includes the Selma to Montgomery Relay and Bike Ride, the Civil Rights Race Series Memphis "I Am A Human" 5k and Half Marathon, and the Riding Through the Flames of Freedom Race in Anniston, AL. LATINOS RUN Latinos Run is a trailblazing running platform serving a global Latino audience of over 25,000 runners from beginners to elite athletes. These are runners who are passionate about living a healthier life. As a minority-based organization, Latinos Run has opened the door to highlight a community that largely is ignored in the health and fitness industry. Their goal is to inspire more individuals of color to change the way the fitness industry looks, celebrate diversity and empower others to get inspired by the journey.

When you've been around since 1976, many people ask, "What makes you tick?" For Fleet Feet, the answer lies resoundingly with our dedication to local ownership. We know the "secret sauce" comes from finding and supporting the right owners to open a Fleet Feet. Owning your own business is tough work; owning your own business that also simultaneously builds and sustains a local running community requires leaders lit from within by passion and a desire to truly change lives. Our 50-person Store Support Team in Carrboro, N.C. exists to help those business owners, who run over 170 locally owned and operated locations and counting in 38 states, become better and more efficient at what they do. You won't find a group of people more committed to helping local owners help local running communities than you will at Fleet Feet. If you have a desire to become a part of something that truly changes lives, then we want to meet you.

Fleet Feet's story began in 1976, when Sally Edwards and Elizabeth Jansen—both collegiate athletes, educators, and not yet 30 —made the very unlikely, very risky decision to open a running store together on the second floor of a fixer-upper Victorian house in Sacramento, California.

Sally and Elizabeth wanted to create a place for their friends, their community, and their fellow athletes that provided the shoes, gear, and the community that was so lacking at the time for runners.It took a year, but eventually sales crept up, enticing other brands to become vendors. Opportunity came calling in 1978, and Sally and Elizabeth opened Fleet Feet's second location 90 miles north of Sacramento in the town of Chico. As additional requests came in for stores, Sally and Elizabeth decided rather than become a multi-store business, Fleet Feet would become a franchise operation built on an incredibly solid foundation of local ownership.

Since those doors first opened on J Street, Fleet Feet has inspired, empowered, educated, and helped runners of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds. Today, the brand remains committed to outfitting runners with personalized solutions and creating social experiences that deepen the roots of running in communities across the nation. The brand’s focus on evolving the customer experience has led to the recent introductions of the brand's exclusive 3D foot scanning system fit id™, an e-commerce platform at fleetfeet.com, the national training initiative Fleet Feet Running Club, the nationwide 5K The Big Run event, and the most significant brand refresh in Fleet Feet history.

What hasn’t changed, and will never change, is Fleet Feet’s foundation of passionate, local ownership.
Like the cultural influences that led to its opening, the brand remains inextricably linked to the sport of running and continues to serve as a destination for runners with 175 locations across the country.